Two A Side
by fennecfawkes
Summary: Albus/Scorpius. When being Potions partners just isn't enough and all you can think about is a chipped front tooth or pale grey eyes. Epilogue compliant. These characters belong to someone much cleverer than I.
1. The Hasty Addition of a Silencing Charm

Scorpius Malfoy was horrible at having crushes.

How much more obvious could he have been? Scorpius lied back on his bed, beating himself up, after herding the Slytherins into their common room and going through the "I'm a prefect and a seventh year, here's how small you are in comparison to me" song and dance. Smiling, flirting, joking, even _touching_ Albus like that during their prefects' meeting—the stupid boy had to know Scorpius was mad for him. Or maybe he didn't. Albus Potter was notorious, at least in Slytherin House, for being completely oblivious when someone fancied him. No less than three Slytherin girls had gotten a crush on Albus in the last three years, and all three times, Albus never seemed to notice. Either he was very good at playing dumb, or, in this particular area, he actually was.

The problem, Scorpius figured, was that it had been all girls, and Albus wasn't interested in those. At least, it certainly didn't seem like it. His best friend was female, he couldn't possibly care less about Quidditch, and he spent way too long looking at the pictures in the back of Gilderoy Lockhart's _Magical__Me_when they'd read it as part of an extra credit Potions assignment. Besides, Scorpius had an eye for this kind of thing. He'd had Alfie McMillan picked out as a poof all the way back in second year, and now, Alfie was happily snogging Nicolas Smith (who Scorpius had also pegged) around just about every corner or the castle.

But even if Albus was out and proud, and Scorpius certainly didn't see _that_happening anytime soon, Scorpius wasn't sure what he'd do with that information. Right now, he supposed, he'd continue with the flirting, see where that took them, if anywhere. Maybe they'd partner in Potions again. Or, better yet, spend a day together in Hogsmeade, one of those prefect only affairs. Or, better than _that_, maybe they'd run into each other in the prefects' bath...

Scorpius felt his trousers tighten. Damn his overactive sex drive. He muttered a locking spell on the door, hastily adding a silencing charm as he reached downward and heard himself moan. The truth was that Scorpius himself had never had a boyfriend or anything like that, so he was left to his own devices in these situations. And while he'd gotten well practiced at it, maybe even embarrassingly so, he longed for someone to help him out. Someone with green eyes and mussed up hair and a slender frame that would fit so well against his...

Scorpius thought about the train ride in again, how nice it had been to talk to Albus and catch up, however briefly. They'd been sharing a cauldron in Potions since third year. It had been Albus' idea.

"We're mates," he'd said. "And that drives our dads mad already. Think about how much madder they'd be if we were mates and study buddies!"

At that point, all Scorpius had known was that he liked Albus more than anyone else. He was still trying to work out why he didn't like girls the same way the other boys in his house did, and he hadn't started thinking about Albus' bright green eyes and chipped front tooth (two-a-side Quidditch accident, James' fault, according to Albus) just yet. That started fourth year, when Albus told him that James had done a freezing spell on the showerhead in the Potters' only bathroom over the summer and it took a week for Albus' dad to undo it.

"We all smelled awful, even Lily, and I don't think Lily's touched dirt in her life," said Albus. "Since I was James' target, I got to shower first. Longest, hottest shower of my life." He grinned, displaying that tooth in all its crooked glory, and for the rest of the day, Scorpius couldn't shake the image of a wet and naked Albus out of his mind.

Scorpius never officially came out. He'd asked his dad if that was important.

"That's beneath a Malfoy, Dragon," his dad had said, using Scorpius' nickn ame around the manor. "You don't ever have to justify yourself as anything to anyone."

"It might be nice to Blaise and Pansy's daughter, though," Scorpius' mom had piped up. "I talked to Pansy the other day, and she's quite taken with you."

That crush had lasted far longer than Scorpius had anticipated. It took five boyfriends and two years for Morena Zabini to give up on him. And when she did, the rest of the girls in his year seemed to take the hint.

Scorpius finished off and sighed. Maybe he should make it his mission this year to not have to help himself out in this way anymore. Seemed a reasonable enough goal, as he had noticed a boy or two paying him some extra attention as he'd led the Slytherin charge into the castle earlier that night. But those ones, they weren't who he had in mind. No, Scorpius only wanted Albus. And whether Albus wanted that or not, Scorpius intended to find out.


	2. Swagger

"You should tell her, Al. You really should."

"But it's so hard," Albus whined. "She's our friend. I don't want her to think I don't like her."

"Well, you don't. Not like that. And how is it hard? I tell boys I don't like them all the time!"

"You've only done that twice."

"Three times."

"Two times to the same person doesn't count, no matter how thickheaded Remy is."

Albus Potter and Rose Weasley were taking a walk to the greenhouses the night of their arrival at Hogwarts for their seventh year. It had been Rose's idea, as was using the entire 20 minutes to berate Albus for leading on Dora Thomas. Albus hadn't been leading her on—at least, not intentionally—but Rose didn't seem to believe that.

"Honestly, Al, it would be a lot easier for everyone if you just came out already."

"I shouldn't have to do that," he said, trying not to complain, but not being able to help himself. Rose was the only one he ever got to complain to, and he liked taking advantage of that. "Alfie and Nicolas, all they had to do was start dating. And Scorpius, he didn't even have to do _that_. He just started ... swaggering a bit more."

Rose giggled. "Swaggering?"

"Oh, you know what I mean." Albus launched into an imitation of Scorpius' walk. "'Lo, Rose. Didn't see you there. Too busy matching my socks to my underwear."

Rose laughed so hard she could hardly breathe. Hiccupping slightly, she asked, "Does he really do that?"

"How would I know?" Albus shrugged and fell back in with Rose. "Scorpius is my friend. He doesn't tell me that kind of thing."

"I bet he would if you asked. I can tell he fancies you."

Albus fought off a blush, successfully for once. "No, he doesn't. He treats me the same as all his friends."

"Except for the part where he practically gropes you whenever you're together," Rose said with a snort. "And the way he doesn't look at anything but you in Potions or Care of Magical Creatures. Or—"

"Oh, stuff it," said Albus, rolling his eyes. "I get it. Scorpius is in love with me. Or you think he is, and I'll pretend you're right to get out of this conversation."

"Oh, now you want out of the conversation? Does that mean you like him, too?"

This time, Albus couldn't stave off the blush. Luckily, it was turning to dusk, just dark enough that Rose wouldn't be able to see it. "No."

"Are you lying to me?"

"No. I don't."

"But you did in fourth year."

"Right. When I was a kid."

"You're saying you outgrew Scorpius Malfoy?"

"Not Scorpius. Just fancying him," Albus corrected her. Naturally, that wasn't at all true. Of course he liked Scorpius. He had since he first figured out he liked boys and saw the look on Scorpius' face when he talked about showering, way back in their fourth year of school and second year of friendship. He'd told Rose then, but he also told her he wasn't interested in anyone every time she asked thereafter. Rose could have her relationship with Lysander Scamander—Andy, they called him, a much less horrible name—and that could occupy her time while Albus daydreamed about Scorpius' easy smile and creamy white skin and pale grey eyes. Oh, the eyes, that was what first got Albus hooked. There was a way about them, life or something, Albus was no poet so he couldn't describe it quite right. He just knew that when he looked at them, and Scorpius looked back into his, it felt like they were the only two people alive.

And yet...

He couldn't tell anyone, could he? Least of all Scorpius, because no matter what Rose said, there was no way Scorpius felt the same as him. For now, Albus would go on pretending there was nothing more than friendship on either side of his interactions with the best-looking, cleverest, most sincere boy he'd ever met.


	3. House Points and Pitches

"This is the hardest bloody thing we've ever done," Albus said gloomily, looking down at his Potions textbook. "Who assigns the Draught of Living Death in the first month of the year?"

"Second," Scorpius corrected him. "It's the 1st of October, Al. And it won't be that hard. We work well together."

Albus poked the first block of text on the open page and ran his finger along the words as he read out loud, "You will need wormwood, asphodel, valerian roots, sloth brain, and the juice of a sopophorous bean." He looked up at Scorpius. "I've never even heard of half that stuff."

Scorpius laughed. "I'll go grab the ingredients. You start figuring out what to do with them."

Albus muttered something and Scorpius walked to the cabinet. Their Advanced Potions class was quite small, and they all got on quite well with each other—in fact, it had fast become Scorpius' favorite class, though that might have had something to do with his partner. He returned to the table. Albus' head was bent over the textbook, his brow furrowed in concentration. He looked adorable, enough that Scorpius laid a hand on his shoulder rather than announcing his presence.

"D'you know what we're supposed to do, then?" he asked.

Albus nodded. Scorpius let his hand linger before he began arranging the ingredients on the table in order of use, something Albus had taught him to do way back in their third year. Despite Albus' grumblings, their Draught of Living Death was a roaring success, earning them 15 house points each from an ecstatic Professor Slughorn.

"If you worked alone, Scorpius, I'd have given you 40!" he said with a wink. Slughorn was getting on in years and quite fond of Scorpius—and Albus, too, to that end, considering how much he dearly loved both Albus' parents.

"Can't do Potions without my partner," said Scorpius, slinging an arm around Albus, who grinned. Merlin. How had Albus not figured it out? Scorpius had been laying it on thicker with every passing day, flirting to the point of exhaustion. Scorpius removed his arm as they left the dungeons together.

"Oh, we have a prefects only day at Hogsmeade this weekend," Albus said suddenly, as if he'd just remembered. "On Saturday. Did you want to go together?"

"At 11, right?"

"Right."

"I have the Quidditch pitch reserved for myself from 10 till 10:30. I'll meet you in the Great Hall after I shower, unless you want to play Two A Side with me and the Scamanders. They're usually up for it."

"I'm really bad at Quidditch, Scorpius," said Albus, looking embarrassed.

"Oh, I'm a wreck. It broke Dad's heart the first time he saw me fly. But it's OK. Andy and Lorcan are rubbish, too."

"As long as you aren't the first one who laughs at me."

"That'll be Andy."

"I'll see you on Saturday, then?" Albus said before ascending the stairway toward Gryffindor.

"See you then."

Scorpius wasn't lying about being bad at Quidditch, though Albus may have been worse. Regardless, it was always fun to swing a beater bat at Lorcan's head while Andy came down in the giggles across the pitch.

"Do you ever stop laughing, Andy?" Albus shouted at him from overhead, where he was seeking out the Snitch.

"Never. You should try sleeping in the same set of beds as him," said Lorcan, narrowly avoiding a swat from Scorpius' bat. "Oh!"

Albus followed Lorcan's eyes to the Snitch and had it in a pinch.

"Nice one, Al," said Scorpius, giving him a brief hug as they touched back down on the pitch.

"Come off it," scoffed Andy. "You only won because my brother is stupid enough to say something when he sees the Snitch."

"Oh, yeah? Fancy a rematch, then?" Scorpius had never seen Albus act cocky before. He liked it.

"Two weeks?" Lorcan suggested.

"It's a date." Scorpius clapped Lorcan on the back before turning toward Albus and suggesting a trip to the prefects' bath. Just the thought of it had some effect on the area below his navel, but he ignored that as Albus agreed and they made their way to the nearly swimming pool-size baths.

They shared a tub, naturally, and Scorpius, ever the gentleman, did his best not to take a peek at Albus, who blushed as he removed his clothes and stepped in.

"Forgot how disgusting I get when I play," said Albus, running his fingers through his hair. "I don't think I've even flown since James left for Portree."

"How does he like being a pro player?"

"Take a guess." Albus smiled. "He always liked showing off, and now he gets to show off to the entire Quidditch-watching world."

"Did it ever bother you, him being the center of attention?"

Albus went quiet for a moment. Looking thoughtful, he said slowly, "No. We're very different, James and me. But we got on well. I think if I was as stubborn as he was, or he was as much of an ass as I can be, then it wouldn't be as easy to be friends." He looked at Scorpius. "Did you ever get lonely, not having any brothers or sisters?"

"Well, I like being alone well enough. And usually when I get lonely, I just think about you." Scorpius wished he could take back the words as soon as they'd made their way out of his mouth.

"You do?" Albus' cheeks turned red, but he didn't seem bothered.

Scorpius decided not to lie. "You're probably my best mate, Al."

"You won't tell Rose if I say you're mine, will you?"

Scorpius laughed. "No."

"Well, you are. You have been since the first time we shared a cauldron and Remy Longbottom exploded that store of Polyjuice Potion all over me." Albus shook his head. "You were the only one who wasn't too disgusted to help me clean up."

"Yeah, well, you were friendly and smart and you didn't think my name was stupid."

"I never said that."

Scorpius splashed Albus, who laughed and hopped out of the tub.

"We should head back down to the Great Hall," said Albus as he put on his clean clothes. Though Scorpius wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to the milky white skin on the other boy's chest, he did admire the tight fit of the jumper Albus slipped over his head. Scorpius got out after him.

"You do think my name's stupid, then?" he asked as they walked down the stairs.

"Not anymore," Albus said, grinning. "It suits you."

"Some people might say Albus is a dumb name, too," said Scorpius.

"Not if they know who I'm named after. Did your parents look at a star chart or something?"

Scorpius shoved Albus as they laughed and fell into step with Rose and Andy.

"I thought this trip was prefects only," said Albus. "No offense, Andy."

"None taken," Andy said with a cheeky grin. "I got special permission from Headmistress McGonagall. Only today, she said. Course, that's what she said last year, and the year before that."

"And that was before you were even dating the golden girl," Scorpius said.

Rose smacked him on the shoulder. "You should talk. Why don't you just go and get yourself a few more house points for the only decent potion you've ever brewed?"

The four of them walked toward the village together. It felt more natural than anything else Scorpius could think of. How much longer would they have to do it before Albus realized this was practically a double date already?


	4. Judgments

_You're not on a date. You're not on a date. You're not on a date._

No matter how many times he told himself, Albus wasn't convinced he hadn't asked Scorpius out for an entire day in what could be a very romantic setting. Granted, there were ways that it could be more date-like. Scorpius could be holding his hand. He could be kissing Scorpius' cheek. Scorpius could have his hands down—well, never mind that. That was a train of thought that was taking Albus nowhere he needed to be.

"I can't believe Andy and Rose actually go to Madam Puddifoot's," said Scorpius, shaking his head. "Such a stereotype."

"It's a little weird. Rose used to make fun of the couples that went there. Then she became part of one."

"Do you spend less time with Rose since she's dating Andy?"

"Not really," said Albus, eyeing a giant licorice wand in the window of Honeydukes. "She's very careful not to ignore her friends because of how annoyed she was when James did that in his seventh year."

"I can get you a licorice wand, you know," Scorpius said as they stepped into the sweet shop. "I owe you today's Two A Side victory."

"You don't have to do that, Scorpius."

Scorpius laughed. "No. But I'm going to anyway."

After picking through giant bins of sweets and snacks for a solid ten minutes, Albus and Scorpius settled on their separate bounties, including the longest licorice wand Albus had ever had courtesy of Scorpius. Albus tried to ignore the Freudian implications he'd gleaned from a Muggle psychology book Rose was reading for Muggle Studies class.

"Thanks," he said. "You ready for lunch yet?"

"Only if there's lots of grease on it. I'm still not over the rabbit food my father's had elf serving since the beginning of summer."

"Why is he doing that, anyway?" Albus asked as they ducked into the Three Broomsticks.

"He thinks he's getting fat." Scorpius smirked. "Of course, he's not getting fat so much as getting older. But Mum seemed to think it was a good idea for all of us to diet together. It's murder."

"You don't need it at all. You look really good." Realizing what he'd said, Albus clamped his mouth shut. Scorpius' cheeks reddened slightly, a rare occurrence.

"Thanks, Al."

Albus nodded and fixed his eyes on the menu in his hands. They were seated near Alfie McMillan and Nicolas Smith, the most public gay couple Albus knew. Rose had said the two of them frequented Madam Puddifoot's, but it seemed they'd gone for a change of pace today—although, Albus noticed, they behaved the same way Madam Puddifoot's clientele tended to. Their hands were grasped together across the table and, though Albus and Scorpius had only been in the restaurant for a minute or two, Albus had already seen them kiss once, twice, three times.

"What d'you think they're trying to prove?" Scorpius asked, gesturing toward the couple.

"They don't have anything left to prove," said Albus. "I think by now, we're all thoroughly convinced that they're more in love than anyone else the world has ever seen."

Scorpius laughed. "Love doesn't have to look like that, does it? Think about Andy and Rose. I've never seen them touch each other, let alone ... _that_." Alfie and Nicolas were full on snogging.

"You don't want to. It's sickening." Albus shuddered and Scorpius laughed again. Then his expression turned more serious.

"Why haven't you ever gone out with anyone, Al?" he asked, allowing Albus to get lost briefly in those stupidly beautiful pale grey eyes of his. "You're clever and bold and fit. You could date any girl. Or guy. If that's what you were looking for."

"It is," Albus said quietly, looking down. "You've probably worked out that I'm gay."

"I wasn't sure, but yeah, I had a thought," said Scorpius. "Don't be ashamed. I mean, I am too. You know that. But there's gotta be someone, right?"

"There is." Albus looked at Scorpius again. "I just don't know if he's interested or not."

"There's no reason he wouldn't be."

Albus was about to do something, though he wasn't sure what, when he heard his name called by a very familiar voice. Suddenly, his father swooped down on him, his mother, auntie, and uncle in tow.

"Hi, Dad," he said. "Hi, Mum. Hi, Auntie Hermione. Hi, Uncle Ron." Albus gestured across the table. "This is Scorpius Malf—"

"I can tell who he is," said Albus' dad, his expression dark. "You look just like him. Though you're not smirking."

"No, sir," Scorpius said. He sounded rather scared, something Albus wasn't used to. His dad stared at Scorpius, stone-faced and stiff.

"Harry..." Albus' mom laid a hand on his dad's arm. "It's OK. Albus isn't you, and Scorpius isn't his father."

"Right. Fine. Why aren't you with your cousins?"

"Rose is with Andy. It's a prefects only day, so Hugo's not around."

"And no Lily?"

"No Lily," said Albus, wondering why this mattered.

"There's no one else you could fill the time with, then? You had to pick him?"

"Harry!" It was Auntie Hermione who moved in this time, sounding sterner than Albus' mom had. "That's enough. We're going to go. I'm sorry, Albus," she said as she steered him away. Uncle Ron and Albus' mom followed.

Scorpius tried to smile at Albus as they walked away. "That went well," he said, sarcasm dripping from his tone.

Albus shook his head. Blinking back tears of anger, he ran outside to the alley behind the Three Broomsticks. Sitting down on the ground, he allowed himself to cry. He'd never seen his father act so cruelly or so judgmentally. His father was heroic, wasn't he? Why would he do this?

Albus leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes, tears still streaming down his face. He heard footsteps but didn't look.

"Albus," Scorpius said, more quietly than usual. "It's OK."

"No, it's not," Albus said, practically shouting. "My father is a git and he hates you and I hate him for it."

Scorpius knelt down next to Albus. "You know that's not true. Your dad's great. Hell, your dad saved the world. So what if he hates Malfoys? It's not like..."

"Not like what? You're my best friend, Scorpius," said Albus, his voice cracking. "And I ... I ... oh, sod it." And though he'd never expected to be the one to do so, he leaned toward Scorpius, put his hands to either side of the boy's face, and kissed him full on the mouth.


	5. Try Me

In all the times Scorpius had thought of kissing Albus, envisioning how it would feel and where they would be and how far they would go, he'd never thought of how it might taste. He was glad he'd had no expectation as the newness of Albus' lips on his overwhelmed him. Albus' mouth was warm and wet and sweet with a trace of the taste of licorice. Scorpius reveled in this purely, stupidly ecstatic feeling. Albus parted his lips as if he expected Scorpius to take the lead. He did, running his tongue along Albus', pulling back slightly and nibbling at the boy's swollen lower lip.

Albus broke off the kiss and kept his face close to Scorpius' as though he could strike again at any moment. Scorpius liked that idea. "Wow," he said, laughing a little. "That was ... wow. You're a good kisser."

"So are you," said Scorpius, laughing himself. He wasn't sure why he was laughing. This wasn't funny. This was just the happiest he'd been in, oh, ever. Maybe that was why. "Gods. Finally."

"Right?" Albus smiled and kissed him again, softly and quickly. "I just, I never knew if you felt the same way I did, so I didn't, I couldn't tell you. That seemed ... too hard."

"How long have you liked me?"

"Since fourth year."

Scorpius laughed. "Me too. We've got a lot of missed snogging to make up for, Al. I don't have any practice."

"Neither do I." Albus cleared his throat. "Would you ... would you like to be my boyfriend, Scorpius? You don't have to decide right—"

"Of course I would," Scorpius said, trying not to shout. "You're the only boy I've ever wanted to do anything with."

Albus smiled, looking shy, before he kissed Scorpius again. This time it wasn't quick. This was deep and more adventurous as Albus' tongue traced the outline of Scorpius' lips. Scorpius couldn't believe how much better this was than any other touch he'd ever felt. Actually, he could. When would he have had the chance to do, to feel something so perfect?

"I really don't want to be in Hogsmeade anymore," said Albus, the movement of his mouth tickling Scorpius' cheek. "Have you heard of the Room of Requirement?"

"That's the same as the Room of Hidden Things, right? My dad told me about it."

"Well, I know where it is. So if you want to go back to the castle, I can show it to you."

Scorpius nodded and slipped his hand into Albus', who smiled as they took the path toward Hogwarts.

"Why have you used this room, then?" Scorpius asked.

"I haven't. James used to use it for dates with his girlfriend when he didn't have the money to take her somewhere more 'datey.' At least, that's what he said. He showed me once in case I ever wanted to share it with a boy."

"So James knows you're gay?"

"My whole family does," said Albus. "I told them as soon as I figured it out. Dad's still not thrilled, but I think my mum was really excited over the thought of having a gay son. Now all she needs is a lesbian daughter and she'd have the whole lot."

Scorpius laughed. "My mum was happy, too. I don't get that. But it's better than the alternative. Is it hard with your dad?"

"A little." They entered the castle. Scorpius considered letting go of Albus' hand, but the other boy's grip tightened as he tugged Scorpius toward the stairs. "But it's easier with Auntie Hermione and Uncle Ron. They keep him normal, I think." Albus cringed. "Except for the part with hating you."

"Let's not think about that right now, OK?" Scorpius held in laughter as Morena Zabini walked by, took a look at who he was holding hands with, and scowled. "We've got this happy new thing going now, and I don't want to ruin it by talking about your mildly homophobic, majorly Malfoy-hating father."

Albus grinned and squeezed Scorpius' hand. "It's a deal. Here, this way."

The Room of Hidden Things was cozier than Scorpius expected it to be, but since Albus was the one deciding what it should be, he figured that was by design. At that time, it wasn't the Room of Hidden Things anymore. It was just Albus and Scorpius' room. And that suited Scorpius, who settled down on a cushy couch. He patted the cushion next to his and Albus slunk down with him.

"All I want to do is kiss you," said Albus, leaning into Scorpius. "Is that bad? We can talk and all that, but right now, I just..."

"Hopefully it's not _all_ you want to do," Scorpius said, running a hand down Albus' arm and intertwining their fingers. "Have you ever thought about how far you'd want to go, Al?"

"It's never really come up, has it?" Albus kissed Scorpius on the cheek. "I dunno, have you?"

"I've thought about you and me and what I'd do to you, given the chance." Albus blushed. "Gods, you're so cute when you do that."

"And what have you thought of?"

"Well..." Scorpius ran a hand down Albus' front, stopping right above the waist. "Is there anything you wouldn't want to do?"

"Try me," Albus said, all his typical shyness gone.

Scorpius put his arms around Albus. "All of you?"

"As much as you want."

Scorpius leaned in, opting for Albus' neck rather than his lips. Judging from the way Albus shuddered and moaned softly, Scorpius assumed this was the right decision and kissed his boyfriend, making his way down the throat to the collarbone. He tugged Albus' shirt to the side before asking if he could take it off instead.

"Do whatever you want," said Albus, sounding dazed.

Scorpius kissed his way down Albus' chest before straightening up and kissing him on the lips. "I love this so much," Albus whispered between kisses.

"Me too," Scorpius whispered back. "You're perfect, Albus. You know that, right?"

Albus laughed softly. "I'll take your word for it. And I don't have to tell you that you are. You already know." He pulled Scorpius' shirt over his head. "Your turn, then?"


	6. Halloween

It was Halloween weekend and Albus hadn't gotten a letter from his father in a month. To some students, this wouldn't be at all strange, but for Albus, it was an unfamiliar and uncomfortable feeling. He hadn't realized quite what he'd stirred up by spending time with Scorpius and getting caught doing so until he got a letter from his mother the morning of Halloween.

He was eating breakfast with Scorpius, the Scamanders, his cousins, and Lily when Errol II, his family's owl, dropped a letter into his pumpkin juice. Rose laughed and cast a drying spell on the letter as Albus fed a bit of bacon to Errol II and unfurled it.

"It's from Mum," he said. "She's apologizing for Dad. Says he was fine with the Malfoys until he got passed over for a promotion at the Ministry. Your dad got it instead, Scorpius."

"I remember that," said Scorpius. "He never mentioned your father."

"Yeah, well, Mum says your dad's grown up a lot, but when Dad looks at him, all he sees is an insolent little boy who made a lot of mistakes he never had to pay for." Albus looked up at Scorpius. "Harsh."

"From what my dad's said, though, it's probably fair," Scorpius said. "He says he was a dreadful child. Did she mention the pardon?"

"What pardon?"

"My parents received a full posthumous pardon for any actions they committed in the name of the Dark Lord the same week my dad got promoted."

"She kind of vaguely hints that something good happened for your family around then that made Dad pretty angry."

"I'd be angry, too," said Scorpius.

Albus kissed him on the temple. "Why do you have to be so reasonable all the time? It's sickening, really."

"Almost as sickening as you guys," Lily said, grinning.

"So, that settles it, then," said Albus, rolling the piece of parchment back up. "My dad hates you for two stupid reasons. He can hate your father all he wants—"

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Sure."

"But he shouldn't hate you just because your dad's better at his job and something nice happened for your grandparents."

"So how do we get Dad to quit hating Scorpius?" Lily asked.

"Yeah, how?" asked Hugo, leaning forward slightly. He and everyone else looked at Albus and Scorpius expectantly.

"What, are you looking for us to cook up some kind of scheme now?" Scorpius snorted. "That's precious."

"Well, yeah, you have to, don't you?" Rose cocked her head at the couple. "You need to change this. And you're the only two who would possibly be able to convince him that Scorpius is a good guy."

Albus sighed. "She's right, you know."

"Yeah, I guess we'll have to work something out," Scorpius said grudgingly. "When do we get to put on our costumes?"

"The party's at 7," said Rose. Her Advanced Muggle Studies class was throwing a Muggle-style Halloween party for the first time ever.

"You still haven't told me what you're dressing as," Albus said to Scorpius.

"That's because it's a surprise." Scorpius smiled. "You're familiar with the idea of surprises, right?"

"I think I've had a few for you before." They kissed, and Lily mimed vomiting while the others laughed and pointedly looked away.

The surprise, it turned out, was a wonderful one.

"I'm guessing you'll take your butterbeer shaken, not stirred, then?" asked Albus, who'd dressed as the guitarist from the Weird Sisters. Scorpius had mentioned having a crush on him before and was extremely pleased with Albus' choice. Albus smoothed out the lapels on Scorpius' tuxedo and resisted the urge to kiss him, considering the close proximity of Headmistress McGonagall.

"You love it, don't you? I make a great Bond."

"You do," Albus agreed, slipping his hand into Scorpius' and leading him in the direction of the dance floor.

"You know where I'd rather be?" Scorpius murmured to Albus as they tried their best to keep a few inches between their hips.

"Behind the tapestry, on the couch, down my pants, I'm guessing," said Albus quietly, grinning.

"You know me well." Scorpius moved slightly closer to Albus such that the boy felt a telltale bump against one of his own. He swallowed hard and looked to his left and right. No one seemed to be paying much attention to the two of them, so without a word, he pulled Scorpius by the hand out of the Great Hall and up the stairs.

"What are we going to tell Rose when she asks how her party was?" Scorpius asked as the tapestry melted away and a small grey door appeared.

"Hey, we were there for at least four minutes, maybe even six," said Albus, opening the door and ushering Scorpius toward what he assumed to be a couch. But on second glance, he noticed the couch wasn't there anymore, having been replaced with a bed.

"Albus..." Scorpius noticed, too. "D'you think that means...?"

Wordlessly, Albus took Scorpius in his arms, giving him a kiss that nearly knocked the other, slightly smaller boy over. He steered him toward the bed, two bodies still entwined. Scorpius lay back on the bed and Albus climbed on top of him, lips still against his.

"This damn room knows me better than I know myself," he said. "Scorpius, I'm still not sure I'm ready for this."

"Which part?"

"The all-the-way part." Albus straightened up and unbuckled Scorpius' belt. "I was thinking, though, we could maybe—"

"Yes," said Scorpius immediately. Albus laughed. "I don't know how long I'll last, though. It's just, the first time you touched me, it was so quick, and I can't imagine, your mouth, what that's ... what that's like." Albus had never seen Scorpius so nervous.

"I'll go slow," Albus promised, tugging Scorpius' pants down around his knees. "Are we both ready for this? I mean, it's big."

"I know. But I am. It's all I've thought about today."

"So you were expecting this, then?"

Scorpius smiled. "Hoping, at least."

Albus kissed his boyfriend, just once, before leaning down and tasting what he never had before. There was a series of that, new tastes, coupled with the incredible feeling of intimacy and beautiful unfamiliarity. Scorpius was right. It didn't take long. But it took long enough for Albus to know that he wanted to do it again—or, better yet, have it done to him.

"Albus..." The boys lay next to each other, on their sides, Albus' eyes on those pale grey ones he'd fallen for so long ago. "Is it tacky to say you love someone after ... that?"

Albus shook his head, temporarily unable to speak.

"Good." Scorpius licked his lips and hesitated before saying, "I love you, Albus. I have since you kissed me behind the restaurant. And you don't have to say it back," he rushed on. "I know it's probably not alright, like this, now, saying it, but I just can't—"

"Oh, shut it, Scorpius," said Albus, laughing softly. "I love you, too."


	7. Study Session

"I don't think I can study with you anymore," said Scorpius, feeling a little dizzy as he and Albus collapsed back on his bed. "It's exhausting." Scorpius had thought a change of scenery might slow them down, but once the door was locked and the silencing charm was in place, Albus was insatiable. This, Scorpius expected, had something to do with the letter Albus had gotten from his father that morning. The letter was affectionate but cautionary, heavily implying that Albus' dad wanted his son to stick closer to his own house than mix with other circles.

As soon as Albus had shown Scorpius and Rose the letter—this one, he said, he wanted to keep more private—Rose had literally dug her foot into the dirt outside the greenhouses, where she and Albus always went for private conversations.

"I can't believe him," she said. "We've got to do something. He's just not seeing that there's nothing wrong with the two of you being together."

"He doesn't even know that, Rose," Albus said wearily. "Mum promised she wouldn't tell." In his reply to his last letter from his mother, Albus had told her about Scorpius. Scorpius had been surprised, pleased, and a little jealous; he hadn't even been brave enough to owl his parents about their relationship. He did it later that day. Albus was ecstatic, and it showed in the events of that evening. It had been much more difficult, and worth it, to magic away the red marks along his throat than usual.

"I wonder if there's something my dad could do for your dad that would change things," Scorpius said, brow furrowed. "Was there anything the Ministry ever did for your father after the battle, after he killed him?"

"I don't think so." Albus looked at Rose, who Scorpius knew would be more up on this than anyone.

Rose shook her head. "There was talk of a commendation, but the event was unprecedented. I don't think they knew what to do, honestly."

"Maybe my dad could say something," said Scorpius. "He is the Junior Undersecretary now. He has clout. He could use it to our advantage. And your father's."

"You know it's you who has to talk to him, right?" Albus asked.

Scorpius nodded. "I will. I'll need help deciding what to say."

"We'll be here," said Rose.

"Always," Albus said, slipping his hand through Scorpius'.

Six drafts and three weeks later, Scorpius had sent the letter suggesting his father request some kind of recognition for what Harry Potter had done for the wizarding world. That night, Albus and Scorpius had a study date that began with many minutes of celebration over the finished letter.

"Well, I'm just trying to motivate you," Albus said with a grin. "But I'm sorry you're tired out now. I suppose you can't think about your practice N.E.W.T.s now, can you?"

Scorpius sighed. "I guess we have to." It was late November now, and within two weeks the professors would set forth a mind-boggling group of tests in preparation for N.E.W.T. levels in the coming spring. Neither Albus nor Scorpius ever had much trouble with studying or tests, but these exams set everyone on edge, even Rose and Andy, the two smartest students in their year.

"I don't think you have to worry about Defence," said Scorpius, chewing on the tip of his quill. "And I'm not too concerned about Transfiguration."

"You git," Albus said admiringly as Scorpius' hand turned clawlike with a single shake of his wand.

"And neither of us should have to worry about Potions."

"So we're looking at Charms, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, and Astronomy," said Albus. "I move we get Rose to show us all the things we've bollocksed up in Charms."

"But no one else is particularly brilliant at anything. So I guess we're on our own."

"Are we?" Albus asked in a teasing tone, leaning forward and kissing Scorpius.

"You're insatiable," said Scorpius, shaking his head as he broke off the kiss several moments later. "I swear, the only things you ever think about are snogging, Hogsmeade days, and Defence class."

"And you."

"Well, I'm the first two, aren't I?" Scorpius grinned. "Now, let's actually do this."

The two did study for a solid three hours before Albus' neck craning its way toward Scorpius' _Monster__Book__of__Monsters_ distracted Scorpius and he had to see if it tasted the same as earlier. It did, if not a bit sweeter after thinking so hard about what Professors Longbottom, Hagrid, and Sinistra had set forth for them.

The two of them lay back, Scorpius' mouth against Albus' neck and arms around his waist. They lay like that for an hour till two of Scorpius' roommates burst in on them napping. Geoffrey Finnegan cleared his throat loudly, but he was smiling.

"At least we didn't have to see you snogging," he said.

It was then that a sweetheart owl swept into the room, a letter in its mouth.

"'Lo, Archie," said Scorpius. "Leave it to my father to ignore the typical delivery time." He read the letter within a minute and handed it to Albus.

"He's coming to see you?" Albus asked. "How often does that happen?"

"He hasn't since Geoffrey and Alexander and I had that unfortunate Puking Pastilles incident in our first year," said Scorpius. Alexander Finch-Fletchley and Geoffrey grinned.

"Ah, memories," said Alexander.

"Anyway, sounds like he thinks this is important. He's coming tomorrow morning."

"At least he's not pulling you out of class," Albus said.

"I wish he would. Well, I guess I have something to look forward to, don't I?"

"Looks like we both do."


	8. Things That Are Worse Than Waiting

**A/N: This one's quite short. I wanted to move onto the next one quickly since it's clearly the conversation this story has been leading up to.**

"Playing Quidditch in front of Dad," said Lily.

Albus nodded. "Worse when Mum is there."

"Divination class," Rose said with a shudder.

"Your fault you're still taking it," Andy pointed out. "The fact that magic somehow does not allow you to remove your pimples."

"That doesn't make any sense," said Lorcan. "If you can do spots from snogging, why not pimples?"

"What do you know about snogging spots?" Rose asked. Lorcan's only reply was a deep blush.

"Oh! When James knocks your teeth out with his stupid broom," said Lily, fighting back a grin.

"He didn't knock it out. He just chipped it," Albus corrected her, running his finger along the offending tooth.

"And you hated it, and you were so mad that Grandma and Grandpa were retired and wouldn't fix your tooth back up," said Rose. "Remember that?"

"OK, we're getting away from what we were talking about," Hugo said. "I think that's a pretty good list of things that are worse than waiting for your boyfriend to finish talking to his dad."

"Pretty good, yeah," said Albus. "Although I'd take pimples over this."

"That's just because you've never had any," Andy said. "Which is terrible, by the way."

"Not for me." Albus smiled. "Think they're done talking yet?"

"Albus, Mr. Malfoy got here ten minutes ago," said Rose. "And he seemed to like you a lot."

"I suppose." Scorpius' father had patted him on the back and said something along the lines of "It's good to see my boy's in good hands, figuratively and literally" with a very loud laugh. Albus was blushing too hard to thank him or do much of anything at all, and Scorpius had to cover riotous laughter with a hacking cough. Scorpius was far more collected about his meeting with his father than Albus was, though Scorpius had reassured him, again and again, that everything would be OK.

"My father's a good man, despite what your dad seems to think," Scorpius had said, rushing to add, "I don't mean that your dad doesn't have his reasons. He does. It's just, my dad's not so bad, you know what I mean?"

"Of course I do. You don't have to apologize for judging my father correctly."

"Your dad's one of the best guys in the world," Scorpius said with sincerity.

"I wish he knew you thought so, but I don't know if he'd listen," said Albus. Scorpius answered the sadness in Albus' tone with a kiss.

"So, what do we do now?" Albus asked Rose and the others.

"I think the answer's pretty obvious." Rose gathered up her things. "The library?"

Albus, Andy, and the rest of the group groaned. "I hate that you're right," said Andy. "This is going to be how it is all next term, isn't it?"

"Maybe not around the Valentine Ball." Rose's Muggle Studies-thrown Halloween party had been such a success that they'd been granted another go at it with an even bigger, more lavish party. "And hey, maybe you and Scorpius can make it through the whole party without disappearing to do unspeakable things in the Room of Requirement."

Albus' cheeks reddened as they made their way to the far reaches of the castle.


	9. Loves Lost, Loves Gained

"Good term, then?" Scorpius' father offered him a cigarette. They were sitting on the shore of the Black Lake, wrapped up in cloaks on a pair of jagged rocks.

"I didn't know you smoked," Scorpius said.

"My preferred vice," said his dad. "Muggles got this one right."

"I'll try one."

"Don't inhale too hard. You'll cough and I'll be embarrassed that my son doesn't yet know how to smoke."

Scorpius laughed and his father lit the cigarette. He took a short drag and blew. It tasted metallic and warm. Scorpius liked it.

"Don't make a habit of it," his father warned. "I used to smoke a pack a day before your grandparents got their pardon."

"Are you here to talk about that?"

"I suppose, a little."

"Dad..." Scorpius took a longer drag. It was a delicious feeling, really, and certainly broke up the tension that had come up as soon as his dad said something about Albus' hands or some rubbish like that.

"What is it?"

"I know you probably can't do anything like I asked. It was stupid of me to do that."

"No. It really wasn't. And I can. I talked to Kingsley. The plans are set in place. We're not going to say a Malfoy had anything to do with it. At least, not publicly. It's something Albus' mother agreed to slip into casual conversation."

Scorpius' heart leapt, possibly into his throat. This was an excitement with which he was unfamiliar. It wasn't the way he felt when he did well on an exam, or when Albus reached toward him for yet another snogging session. It was an enormous sense of relief. He'd never felt it before. He loved it.

"You did that for us?"

"I did," said his dad. "And yes, I came here to tell you that. But I also thought I'd tell you the other reason our dear Harry Potter hates me so much."

Scorpius waited as his father gave him another cigarette and took one of his own. "Can you teach me to blow smoke rings sometime?"

His dad laughed. "Of course. It's part of growing up, isn't it, teaching your son to pick up awful habits?" He waited a beat and said, "Harry and I dated."

For the first time, Scorpius nearly choked.

"You ... dated?"

"I didn't know your mother, and Ginny—she was still a Weasley then—was on the Holyhead Harpies, way off in Wales and traveling. Harry and I were both working in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. We were cordial to each other, talking every now and then. It was when we started going to the pub every week with the rest of the staff that things changed.

"Harry was charming and bright and handsome, very, very handsome. I started to notice that, and he started to notice me. One night we were the last two people left at the Three Broomsticks, save for Madam Rosmerta, who was ignoring us completely as we talked about Hogwarts and how we missed being students. For the very first time, I thanked him for saving my life." Scorpius nodded. He'd heard that story before. His dad continued, "And then he kissed me. And we were together for a year after that."

Again, Scorpius began to choke. His father put a hand on his back. Scorpius recovered.

"A year?"

"Long time, right?" His father smiled with a trace of sadness. "That was when Ginny came back from Wales. Harry wanted to tell her. He really did. But I convinced him she shouldn't know what went on, that we'd said 'I love you' and all of that."

"You did?"

His dad took a long drag off his third cigarette. "We did. So Ginny never knew. And she never knew how hard it was for me to convince Harry to leave me and be with her again. I transferred departments. That's when I started working in International Magical Cooperation with Percy Weasley, who eventually recommended me for the post of Junior Undersecretary. Percy introduced me to Astoria then, and we got together and got married within six months. And then you were here. Does this help, Scorpius? Do you understand now?"

"More than I did."

Scorpius' father slung his arm around his son's shoulders. "Telling Harry that we couldn't be together anymore was one of the hardest things I've ever done. And I know you'll never have to do that to Albus. I saw you, you know, before I came over to talk to you and meet him. I don't think I've ever seen you so happy. And it makes me just as glad. I hope you know that."

"Even though he's a Potter?"

His father smiled. "Especially because he's a Potter. We could use a little more cooperation around here. Now, how would you and Albus like to get some lunch? I talked to your headmistress. She said it was fine if you took an hour or two in Hogsmeade."

"Really?"

"I was surprised, too." His father left his arm around Scorpius as they walked back from the lake to the castle, footsteps substantially lighter and bouncier than before.


	10. Making Time

"They dated."

"Yes."

"For a year."

"For a year, yes."

"And we're the only ones who know."

"The only ones, yes."

"They dated."

Scorpius shook his head at a still slack jawed Albus. "Don't make me go through this for a third time, Al. Our dads dated. That's why your dad has such ill will toward mine."

"Well, I suppose I see what my dad saw in yours." Albus grinned devilishly. "Now that I know what you're going to grow into..."

"Please don't talk about my father like that ever again," Scorpius said in a stern tone, though he was smiling. "And I won't talk about yours."

Albus shuddered. "Agreed. So we do have a plan, then?"

Scorpius nodded. "The ceremony is set for the 16th of January. Your father will be receiving his owl notifying him of the commendation sometime this week."

"That's wonderful." Albus brushed a kiss against Scorpius' cheek. "I wonder how soon I'll hear from him after that."

Very soon, it turned out. His father's Thursday afternoon letter referenced a correspondence he'd received earlier that morning. His dad asked if he, Lily, Hugo, Rose, and—Albus' heart soared—Scorpius would be able to attend the ceremony. His father had already talked with James via Floo network, and James was begging off of a game or two to come as well.

"So your mum told him about us, then?"

"Apparently," said Albus, tucking away the letter, knowing he wouldn't simply discard this particular note. The two of them were at the shore of the lake, keeping warm with a contained blue fire and the comfort of each other's arms around their shoulders. Exams had ended that morning, and since they'd both be going home for Christmas, they were squeezing in as much private time as possible till the next day. Albus had been invited to Malfoy Manor for New Year's through the conclusion of their break, but he hadn't yet asked his parents. Sure, his father was being more understanding than before, but a trip to the Malfoys' house might be taking things a touch too far.

"And all this before he finds out my dad did it," Scorpius said. "Maybe we didn't have to be quite so elaborate."

"Maybe not," agreed Albus. "But it was kind of fun, right?"

"A good distraction, I suppose." Scorpius took a silver case out of one of his pockets. Its intricate carvings featured his family's name and crest. Albus didn't think the Potters even had a crest and was thus mildly jealous of Scorpius. _If__we__stay__together,__you__can__share__it_, he thought to himself, and just the image of an older Scorpius by his side gave him a warm feeling all over.

"My dad gave this to me today," said Scorpius. "It's a cigarette case. I found out he smokes. He wouldn't give me any cigarettes, though. Said he didn't want me to get addicted. He put this note for you in there instead. Don't know why I don't get any special letters today."

Albus laughed. "You got your crest emblazoned on a silver case. That's pretty cool, right?"

Albus unfolded the note, skimmed its contents, and tucked it away with the other letter, blushing.

"What, I don't get to know what it says?" Scorpius' tone was teasing. "This one's private, then?"

"I think you'd just be embarrassed. It's about how great you are and how great I ought to be." Albus was telling the truth. Mostly.

Scorpius looked mollified. "Well, that's all true enough," he said. "Oh, I know we said we were going to spend as much time together as possible today, but I told Andy and Lorcan we might be up for a round of Two A Side. Is that OK with you?"

"Course," said Albus. "It's cute that you were worried it wouldn't be OK, though."

"Stuff it."

"Hard to take you seriously when we're snuggling, my dear."

"Oh, shove off." Scorpius kissed him then, and Albus lay back on the shoreline, letting go of any worries of getting caught snogging his boyfriend on very public school property.

"I love you, you know," Scorpius murmured against Albus' throat. "And I'm looking much more forward to going to the prefects' baths after Two A Side than the game itself."

Albus smiled and held Scorpius just a little bit tighter, breathing him in. He always smelled like some combination of mint and pine and maybe citrus, and he tasted even better. How had Albus gotten so lucky, catching the attention of a boy like this?

"I love you too," he said to Scorpius, running his hands up and down the boy's back. "We should go, shouldn't we?"

"We still have about six minutes to get to the pitch."

"And the pitch is at least six minutes away."

Scorpius sighed and got up, pulling Albus along with him. The game was easier this time than last; the win felt effortless, probably due to the connection between Albus and Scorpius. Though Albus could not quite explain it, he could anticipate Scorpius' movements and decisions better than those of any other. As a result, rather than squeaking out a victory, they plainly demolished the Lovegoods.

"Brilliant, right?" Albus grinned at Scorpius, whose hair had been dusted with snow as they played, making it appear even whiter than usual. "And you're sure the rest of the prefects have gone home?" He lowered his voice when he asked that question.

"All but your dear cousin, and she'll stay out of our way." Scorpius laughed. "Relax, Al. When have you not known me to plan ahead?"

As Scorpius had said, the prefects' bath was blissfully empty.

"Should've trusted you," sighed Albus as he slid down into the water. "You are going to join me, aren't you?"

No matter how well he knew Scorpius—and that, Albus thought, was pretty damn well—he still had it in him to surprise his boyfriend. This time, he did that by behaving almost shyly as he slipped out of his clothes and into the tub.

"You realize this is nothing I haven't seen before, right?"

Scorpius laughed. "It's just, I don't know, this is different from the bed. This is ... this is more intimate somehow."

"Well, we are both completely naked rather than just mostly."

"Right."

"And someone could walk in at any time."

Scorpius shook his head. "Door's magically locked. And I've got a silencing charm on there. Just in case," he said sheepishly as Albus laughed and scooted nearer to the boy. Though Albus' frame was slight, he had always been just a little bit bigger than Scorpius, and Scorpius fit so neatly in his arms that he imagined that was precisely why he'd been made as big as he was. He put his arms around Scorpius, who put his head against Albus' chest.

"I know we said we were going to have sex down here," said Scorpius, sounding far off, even dreamy. "But could we just hold each other like this?" He slid his arms around Albus. "Forever, maybe?"

Albus laughed softly. "Forever, maybe not. But holding each other, that, I think I'm OK with."

Saying goodbye was strange. Having never had a boyfriend before, Albus wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. Did he promise to write? That seemed dumb. They'd only be apart for a couple weeks, a little more than that. Did he kiss him? Well, that seemed obvious. And at this particular time, what was he supposed to do about Scorpius' Christmas present? Should he save that for later, or pass it off to him as they left the Hogwarts Express?

Scorpius alleviated Albus' anxiety by telling him his gift wasn't ready yet and they could exchange them when they got back from the holidays. And in the compartment Scorpius had snagged at the back of the train, there was plenty of snogging to be done all the way to King's Cross. By the time they got to London, Albus' lips felt swollen and he'd been thoroughly groped—in a welcome way, of course, but groped nonetheless.

"That's to tide me over, then?" Albus grinned as the boys gathered up their trunks and walked out onto the platform, on the hunt for their respective sets of parents.

"As if I ever could. You're insatiable."

"You know me. Oh, I see my auntie and uncle. That means my parents can't be far behind. Do you want to meet them? Proper this time?"

"Seems a bit much."

"Nope. You're going to meet them again." Albus dragged Scorpius toward his mum and dad, who said hello warmly. Albus' mum even gave him a hug, which Albus could tell thrilled Scorpius, but you'd never know it from how level his expression remained.

"We should be going," said Albus' dad just as Scorpius' parents approached. Both of them hugged Scorpius, and then Albus, even though Albus had never met Scorpius' mother. Now he could see that good looks were inescapable in the Malfoy family; his mum was every bit as good looking as Scorpius, as was his father. Albus ran his hand over his permanently messy black hair self-consciously. Scorpius squeezed his hand and, smiling, gestured toward the brisk nods their fathers were exchanging.

"Better than nothing, right?" Scorpius kissed Albus swiftly. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Only 17 days. Or less. Ask your parents. I love you. Did I say that?"


	11. New Year's

It had been so difficult not to snog his boyfriend as soon as Albus showed up in the fireplace four hours before. But Scorpius had managed to kiss him swiftly on the cheek, no more, till his parents told him they were going over to Astoria's sister's house for the evening.

"We won't be back till long past midnight," said his dad. "Think you can hold down the manor till then?"

"Sure, Dad."

"Feel free to go ahead and do anything I would do." His father winked down at him.

"Dad..."

"What? You have no idea how much he looks like his father did."

"I wish you didn't, either."

His dad cuffed him on the shoulder and kissed him on the head. Then his mother, looking even more stunning than usual, swept through the room, kissing her son on the cheek as the two of them stole away to Aunt Daphne's.

Albus had been in the loo when they left. He walked into the foyer and looked at Scorpius, about ten paces away.

"Well," said Albus.

"Well," said Scorpius.

In three strides each, they reached each other and Scorpius mashed his mouth against Albus', forgetting about any technique he'd learned over the past two months. Albus just as clumsily responded, pushing Scorpius toward the sitting room. Together, they collapsed onto a velvet-covered couch, rolling back and forth, licking their way to the backs of each other's throats.

"Was it really only 12 days?" Scorpius murmured, pushing Albus' unruly black locks out of the front of his face.

"Only?" Albus smirked and leaned forward, kissing Scorpius. "It felt like a year. Every day was a month. All I could think of was you. And your mouth."

"Can we put that on pause to exchange presents?" Scorpius asked, straightening up.

"Oh. Yeah." Albus patted the breast pocket of his cardigan and pulled out a small box. "Should we go somewhere else?"

"You've never seen my room, have you?"

"Just on the grand tour your mum gave me. I still can't call her 'Astoria.' It's too hard. She's too..."

"Gorgeous, right?" Scorpius rolled his eyes and pulled Albus toward the stairs. "My parents tend to have that effect on people, regardless of sexual orientation."

"I never said anything about your dad."

"But you have before."

"Just because you look so much like him!"  
>Scorpius laughed and shook his head. "Well, here we are, then." Everything was furnished in blue, as it had been his entire life. He bounded toward the bed, Albus trailing behind him. Both gave the giant bed a hearty bounce before settling in next to each other. Scorpius handed Albus a box of substantial size.<p>

"You go first," he urged, and Albus complied, ripping off the shining silver paper and revealing a box full of old Muggle albums and a record player.

"I remembered you said you liked Muggle music better than ours, especially the Beatles, and that your old record player broke ages ago," said Scorpius. "Do you like it?"

Albus flung his arms around Scorpius' neck. "It's brilliant. I love it. Now my gift just seems ... Well, we'll see if you're still alright with it."

Scorpius opened the small red box. Inside was a leather cuff with the Malfoy crest in what looked like goblin-made gold.

"My dad called in a favor," said Albus with a shrug. "I hope you don't have anything like—"

Wordlessly, Scorpius all but attacked Albus, kissing him deeply before saying, "It's perfect."

Albus looked pleased with himself. "Well. What now, then?"

"I suppose we watch the Muggle celebration in Edinburgh on the telly and maybe do that thing we talked about before break," Scorpius said nonchalantly, standing up.

"Oh, you mean shagging, then?"

Scorpius felt his face flush. "Right. That."

"I'd be up for it if you would," Albus offered shyly.

"Well, let's see where the fireworks take us, then," said Scorpius, taking Albus' hand and descending the stairs.


	12. Dinner Conversation

Waking up in a mess of velvety blankets, satin sheets, and Scorpius' pale, sinewy, ultra-soft limbs was not something Albus was accustomed to. _But_, Albus thought, _I could be_. He snuggled closer to Scorpius, who sighed and shifted around in his sleep.

"Hey," Albus said softly, brushing some stray hairs out from in front of Scorpius' eyes.

"Morning," said Scorpius, not opening his eyes. "What time is it?"

"Almost noon. We didn't get to bed till four in the morning, so it's a pretty reasonable time to wake up."

"Do you think my parents will be offended you ignored the bedroom they set up just for you?"

Albus smiled and brushed his lips against Scorpius' cheek. "I think they'll live."

"Are they home?"

"Dunno, I haven't left the bed yet, either."

"And why would you?" Scorpius climbed on top of Albus, kissing him softly. "We should be doing this instead."

"Doing what, exactly?"

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Git." After several long moments punctuated by soft moans and sighs of pleasure, Scorpius paused. "Someone's coming up the hallway. Dad, by the sound of the footsteps. Get out of the bed and into the bathroom."

"Yes, sir," said Albus. He practically leapt across the room and shut the door to the bathroom behind him, running the water in the sink for effect. He heard the main door open and Scorpius talking with his father. He heard Scorpius groaning loudly at a joke his father had cracked and footsteps moving further and further away. Then he heard a knock at the bathroom door.

"You can come back out," said Scorpius. Albus obliged and found himself quite suddenly in Scorpius' arms, pushed against the wall, Scorpius' mouth on his.

"Mmm, little eager there," Albus said or, more accurately, purred. "You have a silencing charm on that door?"

Scorpius nodded and kissed him again.

"Locking spell?"

"My parents respect my privacy. Oh, and my dad knew you were in here. He didn't care. We still have his blessing to do whatever the ruddy hell we want, in his words."

"Maybe he just wants to make up for the absence of a Potter in the Malfoy home."

"I don't really care about his reasoning," Scorpius said, smiling. He tucked a lock of Albus' hair behind his ear and dragged his teeth against the lobe. Albus shivered. "I love how you do that."

"Pathetically melt when encountered with your touch?"

"I wouldn't call it pathetic." One more kiss, and Scorpius asked with a note of hopefulness in his voice, "Move this to the bed?"

"Or the shower," Albus suggested. "We could try that."

Scorpius raised one eyebrow. "An interesting proposition. You're on, Potter."

"Lead the way, Malfoy."

It was like that for the next few days, snogging and shagging and staying out of the way of Scorpius' parents, who Albus was learning to call Draco and Astoria, however slowly. The four of them did eat dinner together every night, courtesy of a small army of house elves, and Draco regaled them with Ministry stories and tales out of Hogwarts.

"I lived to torment your father, Albus," Draco said wistfully on the last night of their stay. "It's a shame we don't work in the same department now. I miss the joy that came from seeing him scowl."

"Oh, I do a really good scowl like his," said Albus. "Mum calls it my Harry face." He demonstrated. Draco nearly did a spittake he was laughing so hard, and Scorpius and Astoria were equally amused, though they expressed it a bit more gracefully.

"We should keep him around, Scorpius," said Draco, looking from his son to Albus and back again. "What are you doing when you leave school, Albus?"

"I haven't quite worked that out yet," said Albus. "I'm taking all the N.E.W.T. classes required for almost any job at the Ministry. I'm really interested in your former department, actually."

"International Magical Cooperation?" Draco smiled broadly. "I'd be happy to introduce you to Percy. Oh, wait, that wouldn't be necessary, would it?"

Albus shook his head and smiled back. "Uncle Percy really wants me to work there. Of course, Dad wants me to be an Auror, and Mum thinks I'd be good at something in the Games department. But International Magical Cooperation seems more suited to me."

"I think you'd be brilliant at it, Al," said Scorpius. "And it'd be brilliant if we both worked at the Ministry."

"Scorpius has been wanting to work in the Department of Magic Law for years," said Draco. "Improper Use of Magic, specifically. Of course, you probably already know that, right, Albus?"

Albus nodded. "And he'd be great."

"You two seem quite taken with each other," Astoria said. "Scorpius, do you plan to ask Albus to move in here after the end of term?"

Scorpius blushed and muttered something about how it hadn't come up.

"Albus, you're welcome to join us in the manor this summer," said Astoria. "I've spoken with your mother, and she thinks it's a terrific idea."

"When have you been chatting with Ginny Potter?" Draco asked, a small smirk on his face.

"We lunch every now and then," said Astoria breezily. "And your father wasn't quite so enthusiastic, though I'm sure he'll be more so in a few weeks."  
>"You're coming to the ceremony, right?" Albus looked at Draco and Astoria, who nodded.<p>

"Very deft subject change there, Albus," Draco said. "Think on it. Let us know if you'd like to join us here. We'll be just as fond of you either way. Now, who's for dessert?"

Albus squeezed Scorpius' hand under the table and raised his eyebrows at Scorpius, mouthing, "Really?" Scorpius bit back a laugh and nodded. After a heaping helping of tiramisu between the two of them, they went upstairs, saying it was time to pack up their trunks. Once in Scorpius' room, Albus pulled Scorpius onto the bed.

"Before we, you know, do this, we should talk about your parents' suggestion that I live with you," Albus said, shaking his head. "It's mad, isn't it? I mean, it wouldn't be a bad thing. It wouldn't be a bad thing at all. But they've only known me for five days!"

"I've never seen them like this before," said Scorpius. "They must really like you. I was halfway convinced they'd be asking when we were getting married next. And how many children we want to adopt."

"It's just mental."

"I know."

"Completely and totally mental."

"Yes, entirely."

"So you think I should do it, then, too?"

"Yes."

Albus looked at Scorpius, Scorpius looked back at him, and both fell back, laughing so hard they could hardly breathe.

"We're just as mad as they are," said Albus, kissing Scorpius on the side of the head. "We've only been together three months, you know."

"Yeah, but all those years as Potions partners, it was always meant to be."

"Naturally." They kissed and kissed again, begging off coffee with Draco and Astoria and opting to watch reruns of _Top Gear _till they fell asleep, tangled up in each other and loving every minute of it.


	13. A Celebration

"Looking good, Scorp," said Jake Patil. "What's the occasion?"

"Ministry event," Scorpius said, fastening the cufflinks on his dark blue dress robes. "Albus' dad's getting a commendation."

"He doesn't already have enough?"

"Ministry never gave him one, actually."

"Huh. Well, have a nice time."

"Thanks, Jake."

Scorpius examined himself in the full-length mirror on the door as Jake pulled it closed. "I do look good, don't I?" he muttered to himself. "Not as good as he will, though."

"Somehow I doubt that." Scorpius looked over his shoulder and saw Albus shaking his way out of the invisibility cloak he and his siblings shared.

"Git." Scorpius took two steps across the room and kissed Albus. "No, I was right. You look better."

Albus grimaced. "Don't tell my dad, but I really don't like Gryffindor's colors."

"Maroon's nice on you."

"It's a variation. It's just, the red and the gold, they're so, they're just too much. Yours are so much better."

"I do prefer them, but Gryffindors are supposed to hail everything their house does above all else, aren't they?" Scorpius looped his arm through Albus' elbow and, in response to Albus' rolling eyes, said, "You know it's true. Also, eventually, under the bed's not going to be a good enough place to hide the cloak."

"Well, it's Lily's after I'm out of Hogwarts, anyway, and she'll be sure to take better care of it than James or I have. Speaking of, James is here. The girls in the dorm are going crazy."

"Good. Let's go take the piss out of him."

"Let's."

Unfortunately, they didn't have much time to do so before Albus, Scorpius, and Albus' siblings and cousins left the castle as soon as his mum arrived to bring them to the Ministry.

"I was able to borrow a Ministry car and everything," she said after hugging each of them. "Magicked, of course, to fit the lot of you. Gods, when did we collect so many?"

"You're usually rid of me. Sorry about that," said James, grinning. James looked even more like Al's dad than Al did. Scorpius reminded himself to keep James away from his father.

"And I'm new. I can leave anytime," Scorpius offered.

"We'd chuck away James before we'd get rid of you, Scorpius," said Albus' mum.

"Thanks a lot," James said, cuffing Scorpius on the shoulder. "Oi, Mum, we can't drive all the way there."

"Perceptive, James," she said dryly. "No, we're driving to the edge of the city, and then we'll use a Portkey. You all look gorgeous, by the way. I love what you've done with your hair, Rose."

"Time to tune this out," said James. And so he, Hugo, Albus, and Scorpius did, talking about James' team and how many bones they'd manage to break, on themselves or on opponents, over the course of the season. Soon enough, they were on the very edge of Old Town in Edinburgh, Portkeying their way to the Ministry.

"How's Mr. Potter doing, Mrs. Potter?" Scorpius asked Albus' mum, who laughed.

"Please don't call me 'Mrs. Potter' ever again. It's Ginny to you, OK? And good. Harry's good. A bit nervous, but he knows he doesn't have to do a speech or anything like that. You know, Scorpius, it was really wonderful of you and Albus, putting together something like this."

"We didn't really do that much," he said. "I mean, I'm really glad you think so, but it was all a bit selfish, don't you think?"

Ginny laughed. "Yes, but in such a way that everyone is happy, which, I believe, makes it not selfish, not in the least."

They reached one of the Ministry's many ballrooms. Mr. Potter—Harry, Scorpius supposed—made his way over to the group. He kissed his wife hello and greeted each child, one by one, ending at Albus and Scorpius.

"So glad you could be here. Both of you," he said, sounding completely sincere. "Scorpius, I saw your mum and dad earlier. The two of you should say hi."

Albus nodded and took Scorpius by the hand.

"A bit different from a few months ago, isn't it?" Albus asked, squeezing Scorpius' hand as they made their way to the h'ors d'oeuvres table.

"Just a bit, yeah. Have you asked your parents about the summer yet?"

"No. I wanted to wait till after tonight. I hope that's OK."

"Of course it is. If I were you, I'd want to wait till the day before N.E.W.T.s end."

Albus grinned. "You're supposed to be the brave one."

"Hardly. Hi, Mum. Hi, Dad."

Scorpius' parents greeted him and Albus warmly. "Still suspects nothing, I see," said Scorpius' dad, looking across the room at Harry. "Astoria, how many drinks did you say Ginny needs in her to reveal a secret?"

"Well, she's already nursing her second," Scorpius' mum said. "After Harry accepts his award, and Ginny has her fourth glass of champagne, I'd say we'll have a complete Potter pardon on our hands."

"Oh, Scorpius, we should probably go back to my family. Unless, of course, you want to sit with your parents."

"No, go sit with the Potters," said Scorpius' dad. "You'll get a better view of Harry's face when they start talking about how glorious he is. He gets this look that's just priceless."

"Will do," Scorpius said, mock saluting his father and kissing his mother on the cheek.

"I like your parents a lot," said Albus, tucking his arm through Scorpius'.

"They like you, too," Scorpius said. They sat back down with James, Lily, Ginny, and Harry just as Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister of Magic, stepped up to a podium at the front of the room. Kingsley began speaking about Harry's accomplishments and his successful post-war career. Harry's face turned redder and redder, and Scorpius found his father had been right—the expression was priceless.

Harry stepped up to the podium and accepted a shining white plaque, plus a bone-crushing hug from the Minister. Making his way back to the table, Harry hugged each of the Potters one by one. When he reached Scorpius, he hugged him just as tightly.

"Welcome to the family, Scorpius," Harry said, head bent next to Scorpius'.

"It's good to be a part of it," said Scorpius, knowing the smile on his face wouldn't be disappearing anytime soon.


	14. The Revelation

"Think she's done it yet?"

Albus, Scorpius, and Rose were standing at the punch bowl, glasses in hand, watching Albus' parents mingle with the crowd.

"No," said Albus. "Definitely not."

"He's not just going to do nothing when he finds out," Rose said. "He'll do _something_. You know, being Harry Potter and all."

"Oh, wait," said Scorpius. "I think something just happened."

And indeed it had, as Ginny raised her hand to her mouth and Harry stared at her, eyes wide open. Without another word, Harry turned on his heel and walked to the far corner of the room, where Draco and Astoria were chatting with Morena Zabini's parents. Albus saw Harry tap Draco on the shoulder. Draco turned, presumably to say hello to Harry, and Harry dragged him across the room and out the door.

"Well." Scorpius cleared his throat. "That was ... interesting."

"What do you think he's doing?" Rose's tone was needlessly hushed.

"What do you think _they're _doing?" asked Albus.

Scorpius groaned. "Please don't tell me what you're thinking, because I think I already know, and I really don't need to hear it out loud."

"What are you two talking about?" Rose looked from Albus to Scorpius and back again. "Al, you can't keep a secret to save your life. Tell me."

"Hey, you didn't know I liked Scorpius for a long time."

"Other than that one."

"Really, Rose, you don't need to know. I don't think you're supposed to know."

"Come on. Who am I going to tell?"

"Andy."

"I won't tell Andy."

Albus sighed. "You promise?"

"I promise."

"Can I tell her?" Scorpius asked Albus.

"Fine."

"My dad and Albus' dad used to date."

Rose went goggle-eyed. "They ... _dated_?"

"For a year," said Albus.

"And they were in love," Scorpius said.

"That's absolutely bizarre," said Rose, still sounding blown away. "Guess it runs in the families, then?"

"Shut it," said Albus. "Anyway, you can't tell anyone. Scorpius' dad never said he shouldn't spread it around but I'm guessing that was implied."

Scorpius nodded. "Dad never says something's a secret. He just kind of gets this look on his face that says, 'I'll kill you if this goes anywhere.'"

"Your dad sounds a lot cooler than mine," Rose said wistfully. "So, you think they're snogging then?"

"Rose, I said I didn't need to hear it out loud!" said Scorpius. "Believe it or not, I don't love the idea of my father with his tongue down Harry's throat."

"Oh, wow. You thought way further into it than I did," Albus said with a shudder.

"I didn't try. It's like a bad dream. It just keeps coming back."

"Well, suppress it, then." Albus looked over at the entryway. "Oh, thank Gods, they're back."

"And they look..." Rose's cheeks were tinged pink. "Happy."

"Let's not find out why," said Scorpius. "Just smile when they walk by. That's right, make it convincing."

"Al, maybe you should kiss Scorpius so they know how happy you are," Rose suggested. Albus obliged, and his dad and Draco returned their smiles as they walked by and back to their confused-looking wives.

"I think it's best that we never ask about this," said Scorpius.

Albus nodded. "Never."

"I might," said Rose.

"Sod off," Albus and Scorpius said in unison.


	15. Letters

"Got a letter from my dad." Scorpius waved the letter in front of Albus' face. The two of them were at the mostly deserted breakfast table. "He did that obnoxiously Malfoyian thing of sending it to my dorm rather than here."

The months were slipping away quickly as Albus and Scorpius cleared the midpoint of their final term at Hogwarts. Plans were in place for the two of them to stay at Malfoy Manor over the summer, after which they'd both begin their first placements at the Ministry, provided their N.E.W.T. scores were up to par. The Potters and the Malfoys were, quite suddenly, friends—which was more than Scorpius had ever expected, but certainly a very good thing. He imagined they'd never be close the way his parents were to the Zabinis, or Albus' parents were to the Weasleys, but even so, the idea that his mum and Ginny were playing chess while Harry and his father yelled at their respective football teams on the telly made him smile.

"Got one from mine, too," said Albus, gnawing at the crust on a piece of toast. "Said Arsenal's been crap this season, and your dad can't play a Seeker's game to save his life anymore."

Scorpius skimmed his letter. "Mine said Man United is killing it, and your dad would get tossed out of a pro Quidditch match in a heartbeat. He plays dirty."

"Gits," Albus said fondly. "Are we going into Hogsmeade today?"

Scorpius shook his head. "No, let's stay around here. I want to read that letter my father wrote you."

"That was months ago. You still care?"

"Still curious." Scorpius picked up an apple from the middle of the table and took a bite. "I mean, I showed you that cute little note your dad sent me after the commendation ceremony."

"That one was different. That was just, like, 'Oh, Scorpius, you're so polite and handsome and I'm glad you like cock.'"

"He never said that! And you said that was what my dad said in his letter to you."

"Well, yeah, that. And some other things."

"What other things?"

Albus put down his toast and rummaged around in his inner pockets.

"You carry it with you?"

"I figured you'd ask eventually," he said with a shrug. Pulling out the note, he handed it to Scorpius. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you read it."

Scorpius unfolded the note and, as he always did, marveled at the neatness of his father's handwriting.

_Dear Albus (or should I say "future son-in-law"?),_

_Nothing makes a father happier than seeing his child at their happiest, and that is what you have made Scorpius. Scorpius has always been a brilliant boy and a wonderful son, but he has never seemed this content and this ready for the world. Looking at the two of you, I am reminded of the first few dates I had with Astoria, and the way the world seemed brighter just by her very existence on it. For me, the world remains bright, and for you, I hope the same._

_If you ever wish for my son's hand in marriage, you have it. No one else could complete our family the same way._

_Sincerely,_

_Draco Malfoy_

"Oh. Wow."

"Yeah." Albus took the note back.

"You misrepresented the contents of that letter."

"Well, it is about how great I am, isn't it?"

"And how married we should be!"

"That's why I didn't tell you right at the time," said Albus. "It's April now. That means we've been together for, what, half a year? It seemed too early before."

"To propose? Or to show me the letter?" Scorpius raised a single eyebrow.

Albus laughed. "Your father's a very forthright man. I think he just wanted to lay all the cards on the table straight away."

"And he did. Please tell me you didn't buy a ring that day."

"No. No ring. Really? You think I wouldn't have you pick it out yourself? Besides, we're 17. Well, you're 18. At any rate, we're only just old enough to live together in your parents' house, not start picking out china patterns and plotting out when to adopt our first child."

"China? Children? Clearly, we have some talking to do."

"Anyway," said Albus, "aren't you glad I didn't show you right away? You would've ... well, I don't know what you'd have done, but it would've been bad."

"I understand why you waited. What I don't understand is why you're still carrying around the note."

Albus blushed. "It just, it means a lot to me, you know, your dad, saying those things, meaning them. It's just nice to have a reminder that you're not the only one who wants me around."

"So you have it with you all the time?"

"Not always. It's not under my pillow at night. That's the first note you slipped me in Potions fourth year."

"Wait, what? Show me!"

Albus grinned and took Scorpius by the hand. Together, they went to the Gryffindor common room and then the boys' dormitory. Scorpius slunk down onto Albus' bed and pulled the other boy along with him. He lifted up the pillow and rummaged around till he hit a slip of parchment.

_Slughorn = an overgrown marshmallow with a mustache._

"Still one of the most apt descriptions I've ever read," said Albus, smiling.

"I don't think I ever knew how sentimental you are," Scorpius said, nuzzling Albus' neck.

"Pathetic, isn't it?"

"No. Just lovable. Just another disgustingly lovable thing about you."

"How many are there?"

"I stopped counting. I love you, you know."

Albus nodded. "I do."

"You know you're supposed to say it back, right?"

"Well, I just figured, if you already know, I don't have to. But I love you, Scorpius. I love you, too."

Scorpius looked around the room. "We are alone here today, right? Everyone else is safely tucked away in Hogsmeade?"

"Looks like it." Albus grinned. "Why? Any special plans in mind?"

"I was thinking rather than saying how much I love you, I could show you."

Albus' smile turned shy, something Scorpius was sure he'd never get sick of. "Have at, then."


	16. Ends and Beginnings

"I really wish we could just know right now how we did," Albus said, sighing. He was perched on Scorpius' bed as Scorpius gathered up his things for the train ride to King's Cross. The boys had finished their final N.E.W.T. and were headed to Malfoy Manor as soon as they met Scorpius' parents at the station.

"You were brilliant," said Scorpius. "Professor Tofty about passed out when he gave you your Defence examination."

"You were watching?"

"Of course I was." Scorpius took a break from packing to brush his lips against Albus' cheek. "I love watching you do magic. You know that."

"I'm sure it's a great turn on for you."

"Watching you brush your teeth is a turn on for me." Scorpius surveyed the room. "I think that's everything. Did you give Lily the cloak?"

"Yeah. I've never seen her so excited."

"Well, she gets two full years with it. Imagine all the rules she won't break."

Albus laughed. "She is the straitlaced one, isn't she?"

"Without a doubt. Although I did see her snogging Remy the other day."

"They've been together for three months, and Rose told me that she wouldn't even hold his hand for about half that time. I don't think there's much to worry about there."

"Is it strange that sometimes, now that we're together, I feel like I have siblings, too?" Scorpius asked, picking up one end of his trunk as Albus took the other.

"No. I don't think it is, though that means we'll both be missing out on them over the summer."

"We'll be back at the house for James' birthday, and for Harry's. Sorry, your dad's."

"Since when are you on a first name basis?" Albus teased Scorpius.

"Since we started exchanging recipes."

Albus charmed his own trunk to propel itself down the stairs, which they descended, heading out of the castle. "Rose is going to be pissed. I've never not helped her pack before."

"I think she understands," Scorpius said, nodding ahead at Andy and Rose, arms entwined, lips glued together.

Albus shook his head. "This summer's going to be murder for her. Andy's going out for Puddlemere United and she's working in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office at the Minisry."

"The summer? So you don't think Andy will make the team?"

"What do you think?"

"Good point," said Scorpius. "We should go get a carriage. The train's coming soon."

With Scorpius in his arms in an abandoned baggage cart, getting back to London seemed to take no time at all. The two of them walked hand in hand to greet their respective sets of parents before Albus promised to write his parents every week—"Or, at least, every other," he added hastily—and he, Scorpius, Draco, and Narcissa left for Malfoy Manor.

"Any big plans for the summer, then?" Draco asked Albus and Scorpius, keeping his eyes on the road. It surprised Albus that Draco would be a nervous driver, that Draco would be nervous about anything at all. The thought comforted him somehow.

"Albus is rubbish at chess and I'm going to change that," said Scorpius, a hint of pride in his tone. Albus let go of Scorpius' hand to cuff him shoulder and immediately re-entwined their fingers.

"And Scorpius only speaks English. So I'm going to change _that_."

"Are you bilingual, Albus?" Narcissa asked.

"Yes, and it's brilliant," Scorpius said before Albus could answer. "He says he can't speak French very well, but he's just as fluent as he is in English."

"Impressive," said Draco. "That'll be helpful in the International Magical Cooperation."

Albus nodded. "That's why I wanted to learn them in the first place. That, and my dad wanted to show me off when we went to Dijon for a holiday a few years ago."

"Seems about right," Draco said, taking a ring road and turning down a rather dodgy-looking street. Albus looked around, surprised at their surroundings.

"You didn't notice how ugly it was last time?" Scorpius snapped his fingers. "Oh, that's right, you Portkeyed. You wouldn't have seen this. It's magicked to look like rubbish. And then when you get to the house, it still looks like rubbish to Muggles."

"Like Hogwarts, then?"

Scorpius nodded. "Something my grandfather thought to do."

"He was powerful, wasn't he?"

"Too powerful for his own good," said Astoria. Draco looked at her and nodded emphatically. "Here we are, then."

Though he'd been there before, the size of Malfoy Manor still overwhelmed Albus. Sure, his house was nice, with extra bedrooms for guests and a massive backyard complete with a miniature Quidditch pitch, but three copies of the Potters' house could fit neatly within the Manor. Albus had to remind himself that his father was rich enough to afford something similar, but he wasn't one for opulence. They weren't inferior to the Malfoys. Their priorities differed, that was all.

"I can put your trunks upstairs if the two of you would like to have dinner," said Draco. "Albus, I remembered how much you liked Suki's pot roast last time we were here. She made it earlier today."

"Thanks, Draco," said Albus.

Suki, one of the Malfoys' more outgoing house elves, popped into the room, serving tray in her tiny hands. "Hello, Master Albus," she said, putting the tray down on the table and giving an exaggerated bow. "Hello, Master Scorpius. Didi will be glad to see you."

Scorpius smiled at Suki and patted her on the head. "Tell him to visit later."

Albus and Scorpius sat down to dinner while Draco went off with the trunks and Astoria bustled about the kitchen, pouring wine and fussing over the vase of flowers on the counter.

"I got these from Neville Longbottom—Professor Longbottom, I suppose I should say," she said. "They're beautiful, but he said I should use them rather than put them on display. Can't remember what he said they were for, though..."

Albus glanced over. "Oh, that's a special kind of poppy. I forget what it's called, but I know it cures headaches and other minor ailments. A lot of women use its extract when they're pregnant."

"Oh. Well. Do we have a herbologist on our hands, then?" Astoria smiled and Albus blushed.

"Just leftover information from studying for the Herbology N.E.W.T.," he muttered. Scorpius reached over and squeezed his hand.

"Next time we see Suki, I'm going to hug her so hard her giant eyeballs might pop out," Albus said. "This is amazing."

"She's great," Scorpius agreed. "But Didi's better at drinks."

"You should drink your wine before asking Didi for melonberry punch or whatever it is he makes you," said Astoria. "Your father was very insistent we all drink wine together. He wants you to feel like adults, I suppose."

"Fair enough." Scorpius took a sip. "This is wonderful. Let me guess, Napa Valley, 2007, dry Riesling?"

"You've gotten suspiciously good at that," Astoria said, shaking her head. "Your father will be proud, though."

"How do you do that?" asked Albus in awe.

Scorpius laughed. "Years of practice and listening to Dad."

"2007 Riesling? Good choice, Astoria," Draco said as he walked into the room.

"Still can't tell by looking like he can, though," Scorpius lamented.

"I have a few years of showing off on you yet." Draco patted Scorpius on the shoulder. "How's the pot roast?"

"Incredible," said Albus. "I'm going to get so fat this summer."

"No, we're still on our diet." Draco rolled his eyes.

"I'm not sure we have to be with the boys around," said Astoria, sitting down next to Draco and examining both Albus and Scorpius. "You're as skinny as broomsticks."

"Must be all the Two A Side," Albus said. "We were playing every Saturday for a few hours by end of term. It was the only way we could get away from Rose nattering on about how we needed to study."

"She was awful," Scorpius confirmed.

"She takes after her mother, then." Draco grinned. "If I remember correctly, Hermione gave Harry and Ron enchanted planners that told them when to study and what to do."

"Sounds like something Rose would do," said Albus. "She's always been more like her mum, she says, and nothing like her dad."

"Makes sense," Draco said. "She and Ron are nothing alike. No one ever could understand that relationship."

"Auntie Hermione and Uncle Ron seem happy enough," said Albus. "Sure, they drive each other mad, but that's love, right?"

"I don't know. Is it, dear?" Draco asked Astoria.

"You've never quite driven me mad, but I'm halfway there when you watch football," she said. "And Scorpius, does Albus drive you mad?"

"Only when he's not around." Scorpius squeezed Albus' hand, which he was still holding.

"Oh, that's disgusting." Draco wrinkled his nose, looking more like Scorpius than ever. "But a bit cute, I suppose."

"I'd go as far as adorable," said Astoria.

"We don't try to be," Scorpius said.

Albus nodded. "It just happens."

"And with two people so attractive hanging around each other, being in love, how can we help it?"

"We can't."

"That's just it."

"This sounds like a well-rehearsed routine," said Draco.

"It's not," Albus and Scorpius replied in unison. The whole group laughed, and Draco clapped his hands. Didi appeared.

"Does Master Draco want dessert?"

"That he does, Didi."

Within seconds, the biggest chocolate cake Albus had ever seen appeared in the middle of the table. Now, it was his turn to squeeze Scorpius' hand.

"This is going to be a good summer," he said.


	17. The Potters' House

"Is it always this loud?"

Albus laughed at the bewilderment in Scorpius' tone. It was three weeks into June, and they'd just used the Floo network to get to Albus' family's house.

"Usually, yes," said Albus, talking over the sound of Lily's giggles and a deep, steady barking courtesy of the Potters' dog Romulus. Lily flung herself across the room and hugged them both, then turned back to shout for Albus' mother.

"Hello, boys," Ginny said, smiling. "Sorry about the mess."

"Hadn't noticed," said Scorpius in the most polite tone possible.

Ginny rolled her eyes and patted Scorpius on the shoulder. "Of course you did. It's a wreck. We should have it all cleaned up for James' birthday tomorrow."

"Is he in yet?" Albus asked.

"He's coming in to King's Cross and your father's going to pick him up after work. For now, I'm guessing you two would like to get something to eat. Kreacher!"

A decrepit house elf appeared in the room, as if out of nowhere. "Yes, Miss Ginny?"

"Get Albus and Scorpius some sandwiches and cake."

"More cake?" Albus groaned. "We have it every night at the Malfoys'."

"Oh, how torturous," said Ginny, laying on the sarcasm thick.

Kreacher cocked his head at Scorpius. "Master Draco?"

Scorpius laughed. "No, I'm his son Scorpius."

"An honor it is, Master Scorpius," Kreacher said with a deep bow. "I will get the sandwiches."

"It's nice to be in a house that looks like someone's lived in it," Scorpius commented as they followed Kreacher into the kitchen.

"Glad you like it," said Albus, rummaging through the fridge and coming up with two frosty bottles of butterbeer. "I kind of like your house, personally. I feel much more high class there."

"You say that like it's a good thing."

"It can be." Albus grinned and clicked his bottle against Scorpius'. "To getting out of the Manor for once."

"Hear, hear. I'm sorry about my parents."

"Don't be. They're lovely."

"But they want us there all the time," said Scorpius. "That has to drive you crazy."

Albus shrugged. "When you have a telly as big as theirs, and all those Muggle video games, and an actual library right in your sitting room, there's no reason to leave, is there?"

"Not much of one, I guess. But when we get back, I'll convince them that we need to leave sometimes, OK?"

"Sounds good." Kreacher set a plate down in front of each of them.

"This is delicious, Kreacher," Scorpius said after taking a bite. Kreacher beamed. "Did you make a turkey last night or something?"

"Miss Ginny said I should take a practice run at the turkey for Master James' birthday," said Kreacher. "Master James is coming home today."

"That's why we're here," said Albus. "For James' birthday."

"Kreacher is glad to have more than just Master Harry and Misses Ginny and Lily," Kreacher said. "Miss Lily talks too much and Miss Ginny rolls her eyes too much and Master Harry doesn't ever ask for anything."

Albus laughed. "That all sounds about right." He turned to look at Scorpius. "What do you want to do after this?"

"Well, you haven't given me a tour or anything," said Scorpius. "I've never seen your bedroom, even though you've been in mine loads of times."

"I guess that's true. You just want to break in the bed, don't you?"

"Al! Not in front of Kreacher!"

"Kreacher has heard everything," said Kreacher. "Kreacher does not care about human sexuality."

Scorpius laughed. "Alright. I'll remember that one, Kreacher."

"Ready for that tour?" Albus asked.

"Does Master Albus not want cake?" Kreacher sounded slightly heartbroken.

"We'll have seconds later, Kreacher, I promise," said Albus. Kreacher smiled, bowed, and disappeared.

"Well, this is the kitchen," said Albus. "As you may have figured out. And this—" He took some steps to the left and began leading Scorpius around the house. "This is the drawing room. See this tapestry? It's the Black family history. Hasn't been updated for you yet, has it?"

"I don't want to be on it anyway," Scorpius said. "All that pureblood stuff, it's rubbish. Even my dad thinks so now."

"The downstairs is where we played a lot when we were kids. My parents put padding up on the walls when they realized that I was dead clumsy without exact directions and James liked taking advantage of that. I can show you down there later. Want to see our rooms?"

Scorpius nodded and the two of them walked up the stairs and into a room done up in pastel colors with teddy bears lining a shelf on the wall.

"This is James' room," said Albus. Scorpius snorted. "Kidding, obviously. It's Lily's. She's been begging Mum to let her redecorate for years, but not begging hard enough that Mum believes she really wants to change it. This," he said, stepping into the next room down, "is James', as evidenced by the Gryffindor colors and all the Tornados posters."

"How excited was he to get on his favorite team?"

"So excited. Unbearably excited. That's Mum and Dad's room—nothing too interesting there—and that's the loo, and this one's mine." Albus walked into the bedroom, slipping his hand through Scorpius' as he went. It was decorated in deep blues and tawny browns, with a gigantic four-poster bed and a wall of photographs of family and friends.

"Oh, you have a picture of us!" Scorpius examined the photo while Albus settled down onto the bed. "This is old, isn't it?"

"Fifth year, when stupid Oswald Creevey couldn't put down that damn camera. It's nice, isn't it?"

"Looks like we're already together. I wish I had a copy of this."

"Well, Mum's got the camera out for James' party. I'm sure there'll be plenty more where that came from." Albus patted the empty space next to him on the bed. "Enough nostalgia, I haven't kissed you in at least two hours."

"I don't think it's been that long," said Scorpius, crawling on top of Albus.

"Oh, that's much better than next to me," Albus said, pulling Scorpius' head down for a kiss. "I've never done anything more exciting than wank in this bed before."

"You'd never done anything exciting before me," Scorpius said teasingly, brushing his lips against Albus' ear. Albus shivered.

"I don't get it. How do I still do that every time? I've been snogging you for how long?"

Scorpius paused and ticked off the months on his fingers. "About nine months. What can I say? I'm still just as thrilling as I was the day you couldn't keep your hands off me in Hogsmeade."

"That was a good day," said Albus, grinning. He tilted his head upward and tugged at Scorpius' bottom lip with his teeth. Scorpius did his best not to shiver but couldn't help it.

"See, I do it, too."

"But you keep your composure."

"Only so much." Scorpius kissed Albus deeply, and Albus rolled the two of them over, reaching down Scorpius' trousers before a voice shrilly cut through their activity.

"Al! Scorpius! James and Dad are home and they want to see you!"

Scorpius groaned. "You're not normally a tease, and now your sister's forcing you to be," he murmured into the side of Albus' neck.

"Well, I already told my parents not to set up a bed for you, and they didn't even question it, so, to be continued?"

"Definitely."

They rose and trudged downstairs to crushing hugs, house elf-prepared feasts, and tales of Quidditch and Auror mishaps for a few days on end.


	18. Swimming Lessons

"Swimming?"

"Come on, Al, we haven't gone all summer." Scorpius tugged on a pair of swim trunks and tossed another to Albus. "What's the point of having a pool in my backyard if we don't ever use it?"

"It just seems like there are so many other things to do," said Albus, shifting from foot to foot. "We haven't played chess yet today."

"We can play chess after we swim."

"Yeah, well, the cinema. Your parents said they'd take us to the cinema."

"Doesn't have to be today."

"Then, I don't know, something else."

Realization seemed to dawn on Scorpius' face. "Albus, you don't know how to swim, do you?"

Albus shook his head and felt his face redden. It was August and so far, he'd gotten away with spending time at Malfoy Manor without ever using the pool. But apparently he couldn't avoid it anymore.

"Don't be so embarrassed," said Scorpius, walking over to Albus and squeezing his arm. "Lots of people don't know how to swim. It's not like you ever had any reason to learn. Come on, change and I'll teach you."

"You'll teach me?"

"Course I'll teach you. You've already taught me how to ask where the loo is in French. The least I can do is show you how not to drown."

"Fair point." Albus grinned, kissed him on the cheek, and switched over to trunks before the two of them went out to the yard.

"I'm really glad Dad didn't keep the peacocks," Scorpius commented as they waded into the shallow end of the pool. "They were foul little birds."

"Your grandparents had peacocks?"

Scorpius nodded. "A whole mess of them. Eventually they did die, though. That was when I was little. Alright, I'm going to go a bit deeper and kick with my legs, like this." He demonstrated. "That's called treading. It's how you keep yourself afloat so you can stay in one place. Want to try?"

Albus hesitated and nodded. Scorpius reached out a hand and Albus went to take it, kicking as he went. "I'm not sinking. I'm staying in one place. That's what's supposed to happen, right?"

Scorpius laughed. "Yeah, that's what's supposed to happen. Looks like you've got treading down, then. What else do you want to learn? I can show you backstroke, or breaststroke, or butterfly. Wait. Not butterfly. You've never even been in a pool before."

"That's not true," Albus protested. "Lily and James wouldn't get out of the pool when we were in Dijon. I sat on the steps with a book."

"That's adorable, in a really pathetic sort of way."

"Git."

"Love you, too, sweetheart." Scorpius grinned. "I'll show you breaststroke. That's fairly standard."

They spent an hour or two in the pool before Albus noticed the way the sunlight was catching Scorpius' hair, and how his skin had a healthy brownish glow about it.

"What are you looking at?" Scorpius asked, halting his demonstration of the butterfly.

"You. You're gorgeous."

Scorpius swam over to Albus and hooked his arms around Albus' neck. "So are you. I've told you about your eyes before, right? The way there's flecks of brown and yellow in the green?"

"You have. And I've told you about yours, right? The way it's the first thing I ever really noticed about you?"

"They are nice, aren't they?"

Albus nodded and, putting his arms around Scorpius' waist, leaned in for a kiss. Scorpius tasted faintly of chlorine, but he still carried that heady signature Scorpius taste, oranges and mint and just a hint of bourbon. Albus hadn't known what bourbon tasted like before staying at the Manor, but now, it was a familiar drink, one Albus, Scorpius, Draco, and Astoria shared nearly nightly. It was that component of Scorpius' taste that Albus had never quite identified. But now he had it, and he'd never get enough.

Albus ran his hands up and down Scorpius' spine, stopping at the shoulder blades and kneading them with his thumbs. Scorpius moaned his approval and moved his hands down below the waistband of the trunks Albus had borrowed.

"Out here?" Albus murmured, running his tongue along the shell of Scorpius' ear.

Scorpius shivered. "Dunno. Could be fun, don't you think?"

"You two having a productive swimming lesson?"

Scorpius dropped his forehead against Albus' and groaned. "This has got to stop happening."

"Hi, Draco," said Albus, somehow unwilling to extricate himself from Scorpius' body. Fortunately, Scorpius had removed his hand from beneath Albus' trunks as soon as he heard his father's voice.

"Hi, Al. Hi, Scorpius. You know I love that you love each other, I really do, but could you do it in your room rather than our backyard?" Draco smirked—Albus' father called that a Malfoy trademark move.

"Sure, Dad," said Scorpius, loosening his grip on Albus.

"Thank you, Scorpius. Did you learn how to swim today, then, Albus?"

Albus nodded. "Scorpius showed me a couple different strokes." He felt his face turn red beyond red.

Draco's smirk remained. "I'm sure he did."

"Al had never even treaded water before," Scorpius said, politely ignoring Albus' embarrassment and his father's amusement. "I bet he'll want to be out here every day now."

Albus shrugged. "It's fun enough, sure, but I think there was talk of going to the cinema tonight?"

Draco's smirk transformed into a genuine smile. "As long as Astoria and Scorpius are game, then I certainly am. Have you ever seen a Quentin Tarantino film?"

"You showed me _Inglourious Basterds _our first week here," said Albus, grinning.

"Of course I did. Well, he's got a new one out that looks brilliant. Want to firecall your parents, see if they'd like to go along?"

Albus hedged. "I don't know. They don't really do films. But they've been talking about having you and Astoria over for dinner."

"And maybe someday they will. Fair enough. Suki's preparing dinner. It'll be ready in 20 minutes." Draco walked back to the house. Scorpius shook his head and sighed.

"My father's seen us do more than any of our roommates ever did, you know," he said, taking Albus by the hand and pulling him toward the stairs out of the pool. "And I'm still not sure he actually minds."

"He could be living vicariously through you and replacing my facial features with my dad's," Albus suggested.

"Ugh. How often do you have thoughts like that?"

"Generally, I suppress them. But sometimes they just bubble over and I need you to help me shoulder the burden."

"That's what I'm here for." Scorpius kissed the side of Albus' head as they ascended the stairs to Scorpius' room. "Oh, we should've sat in the sauna instead of dripping all the way up the stairs. Mum'll have a fit."

"Your mum's probably never had a fit in her life."

"I promise she's much less fluffy when you're not around."

"Wait, you have a sauna, too?"

"You should quit being surprised at my family's wealth, Al. You've been here for over two months."

"But the three of you never act like you're rich," Albus pointed out. "That's why I forget so often." He rooted through his clothing and picked up a t-shirt, then put it back down in favor of another.

"No, wear the first one," said Scorpius. "I like how it looks on you."

"Seems like that's just a dangerous thing right now, one of us liking how the other looks." Albus tugged the shirt over his head. "But if that's what we're doing, then you should wear the dark grey one with the chest pocket."

Scorpius smiled. "Why that one?"

"It's your tightest shirt. And it does something with your eyes. I don't know what it is, but I like it."

"Aren't we supposed to have gotten over this by now? The uncontrollable urge to touch each other at any opportunity?"

"Do you mind?"

"Not at all."

"Nor do I."

"Well, that's settled, then." Albus stepped over to Scorpius and snogged him, long and hard. Scorpius responded enthusiastically, and they fell onto the bed together, rolling and laughing and kissing until they heard Astoria calling their names.

"I'll never get over this," Scorpius said as he pulled Albus up off the bed. He straightened the hem of Albus' t-shirt and brushed a kiss across his boyfriend's cheek. "Not now. Not ever."


	19. Outstanding

"Outstanding, Exceeds Expectations, Exceeds Expectations, Exceeds Expectations, Outstanding, and Outstanding."

"That's exactly what you got." Scorpius handed Albus back his N.E.W.T. results. "Guess we have to send these along with our letters of intent to the Ministry, then."

"Congratulations."

"You too." Albus grinned. "All the same subjects, too. It definitely looks like we cheated."

"If only that were possible. Dad's going to be thrilled."

"So's mine. Actually, I'm sure he opened the envelope and resealed it before sending it here."

It was the last day of August, and the first day the Ministry accepted applications for new employees. Scorpius' dad had urged the two of them to send in their letters of intent by the second week of September, so they'd both been crafting what they thought were fairly solid arguments for the positions they wanted. Albus was shooting for an assistant job in the Department of International Magical Cooperation's Office of Law, while Scorpius wanted the same in Improper Use of Magic.

They'd also begun looking at flats together nearer to the Ministry. Wiltshire was wonderful, and Malfoy Manor had been good to both of them, but Scorpius wanted to break away from his family and make a home of his own, and Albus was eager to go along with that plan. Neither of them had said a word on what this meant for their future and, more specifically, if this meant marriage was on the horizon. In a rare bit of cowardice, Scorpius was concerned about what Albus' answer would be if he asked that all-important question. Certainly, the two of them loved each other and had no plans to break off their relationship. But did that mean they'd be together permanently? Scorpius hoped so. He just didn't quite know how to verbalize it.

"I found a flat I want us to look at," Albus said after putting his N.E.W.T. results aside. "It's in South Bank, so it's not cheap, but with the money your parents are giving us to start out, we'd be absolutely fine. It's got two bedrooms, a living room, one and a half bathrooms, and a kitchen. Do you want me to call them, see if we can get in there?"

"Sure," said Scorpius, more than willing to pass this responsibility on to Albus. "Thanks for learning how to use a phone."

Albus grinned. "Wasn't so hard, once Dad explained it a couple times and taught me not to shout."

The very next day, they made their way to South Bank and looked at the flat. To Scorpius, it seemed ideal, plenty of room for the two of them and the cat Albus kept talking about getting. Albus scrutinized a good deal harder than Scorpius, asking about closet measurements and renter accommodations. Eventually, Albus caught Scorpius' eye, nodded, and cocked his head. Scorpius nodded back, and they signed the papers.

"Think your parents will miss us?" Albus asked on the way back to Wiltshire.

"They'll manage," said Scorpius, leaning against Albus for the last leg of their Apparition. "They always seemed perfectly fine with me going off to Hogwarts for months on end, so why not years?" He almost bit back the time frame. Years sounded a lot like forever. And when they popped back into the foyer at the Manor, Albus looked at him searchingly.

"Years," he echoed. "I think there's something we've both wanted to talk about, Scorpius, that neither of us actually will."

Scorpius swallowed hard and said, "Yeah, that. I've been trying to figure out away to bring it up all summer, but the words are harder to find than I thought they'd be."

The two of them made their way to the sitting room and settled down onto the couch. Scorpius sat a foot or two away from Albus so as not to distract himself with the body heat by which he was so easily sidetracked.

"So, the nebulous future," said Albus. "I suppose I should just say right away that I really want to marry you, Scorpius."

Scorpius' heart felt as though it had skipped a literal beat. "I also want that."

"I suppose the question is whether we want to put it off or get it done. I've never wanted any kind of extravagant wedding, but I would guess that with your family, that might be inevitable."

"Not necessarily. My parents like nice things, but they know I'm not really that way."

"I know my mum's going to say that we should wait till we've been together till at least a year," said Albus. "She's not overly traditional, but I can see where she'd be coming from on this one. It's what she's said to James before when he wanted to marry Alexandra after six months. And you know how that ended."

Scorpius nodded. James had fallen for Alex, a Holyhead Harpies Chaser, when he first began playing with the Tornados. They very well might have been in love, but they fell out of it rather quickly, making James wary of relationships in general. "Their romance was a bit more ... volatile than ours, don't you think?"

Albus laughed. "A polite way to put it, but yeah, it definitely was. And that's why I think if we announce our engagement to my parents in October, they'll be just as happy as yours."

"That's not a proposal, is it? Because it's pretty unromantic, Al."

"Of course it's not." Albus scooted across the couch and slung his arm around Scorpius' shoulders and his legs across Scorpius' lap. Scorpius felt his trousers tighten at the contact and tried steadfastly to ignore the involuntary reaction. "Anyway, I always figure it'd be you proposing, not me."

"But you're the romantic one here."

"We're both the romantic one here," said Albus, smiling. "So let's make it a surprise, then."

"We might end up with four rings this way."

"Better than none." Albus tilted upward to kiss Scorpius.

"Your positive attitude still hasn't gotten old," said Scorpius, smiling against Albus' lips before kissing his boyfriend, nearly his fiancé, again.


	20. Growing Up

"Uncle Percy's a slave driver," Albus groaned. He was sprawled out on his and Scorpius' bed as Scorpius kneaded the tips of his fingers along Albus' spine. The deal was simple: if Scorpius gave Albus a back massage, Albus would make dinner, greasy, heavy, unhealthy, delicious dinner. Scorpius was always willing to honor his end of the deal, even if he had to help dice or mince or set the table in the flat that was now their own.

"You were his errand boy today, then?"

"I wish. I had about thirty billion depositions to proof."

"If it helps, a 14-year-old witch transfigured her father into a water buffalo in Lancastershire today. Her father is a Muggle and her mother is a Squib."

"Oh. Wow. That's..."

"Yeah. She claims not to have meant to, but we have to have her in to court next week. It's the first trial I'm sitting in on." It was October, and both Albus and Scorpius had been accepted into the positions for which they'd applied. Though they each had their share of complaints, Albus genuinely enjoyed his job, and he knew Scorpius liked his, too.

"I assume you won't be allowed to speak out loud."

Scorpius laughed and pressed his palms against the small of Albus' back, eliciting a quiet moan from Albus. "Around Mafalda? Definitely not. But I'm glad I get to be in there, just to see what she does."

"I don't understand how you got so good at this."

"My dad taught me."

"How do you teach someone how to massage?"

"I'm not sure. Watched him give a few to Mum, had him give a few to me, read a book or two..."

"You've read massage books?"

"What's the problem in that?"

"There isn't one. I just like finding out new things about you."

"Hufflepuff."

"Shut it."

"What are you making me for dinner tonight?"

"I was thinking a pizza."

"I was thinking I love you for that kind of thing."

"Just for the food?" Albus teased.

"That's certainly part of it," said Scorpius. "Perhaps not all of it."

"Well, then, I love you for the massages."

"Fair enough."

The two of them made their way to the kitchen, where their cramped but cozy dinner table had been laid out with a crisp linen cloth, glasses of wine, and a candle at the center.

Scorpius took Albus' hand in his and Albus shook his head, smiling. "I'm not making pizza, am I?" he asked.

"No. No, you're certainly not." Scorpius snapped his fingers and Didi and Suki seemed to materialize out of nowhere, weighed down with roast beef, French bread, and scalloped potatoes. After setting the table, the elves were gone just as quick as they'd arrived.

"I'm guessing you already know where this is going," said Scorpius. "So I think I'm going to do it now." He dropped to one knee and took a small black box covered in velvet out of his pocket. "Albus Severus Potter, you've been my best friend for years and my love for one. I'd like to turn that one year into forever. Will you marry me?"

Albus blinked back tears and nodded. "Of course I will, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy. Of course I will."

Scorpius grinned and popped open the box, sliding one of two rings onto Albus' finger. He stood to kiss Albus, then handed Albus the other ring. "This one's mine. Is it OK that I picked them both out?"

"I would've been crap at that," said Albus. He put the ring on Scorpius' outstretched finger and held out his own hand to examine the ring. Its gem was a smoky grey.

"It's a crystal quartz," said Scorpius. "Mine's an emerald. I think you can guess why."

"I love your eyes."

"And I love yours, and I wanted to be able to see them when you weren't around, or at least get close to it."

Albus leaned in for another kiss, and another, and a third, before Scorpius pulled away slightly. "We can shag after we eat, OK? This food's going to taste a lot better warm."

"Alright, I suppose I can handle that," said Albus, settling down at the table.

"I told you that you'd be able to tell when I was proposing."

"It's true. One knee and everything."

"Well, I wanted to do it right. Did I do OK?"

"You did great. You did wonderful."

"You probably could've done better."

"I doubt that," said Albus. "I would've stammered and gotten nervous. You're so much smoother than I am."

"If you say so. Do you want to tell our families?"

"I think we'll be busy tonight, don't you?"

Scorpius shook his head. "Insatiable. After that part, I think we should. They'll want to know before people start noticing the rings. When do you want to get married?"

"We could do it over Christmas," Albus suggested. "Then everyone will be in town."

"That's really soon to plan a wedding. It's already midway through October."

"You're right. My grandmum would pitch a fit."

"So would my mum. I think they'll be seeing a whole lot of each other in the next few months."

"It's a good thing your mum's not as fluffy as she seems," said Albus, smiling. "My grandmum's pretty tough."

"They're a bit scarily happy sometimes, the Weasleys," Scorpius said. "Your dad's birthday was mental."

"Our wedding will be much more restrained, I promise. I like the sound of that, 'our wedding.'"

"Yeah, you're my fiancé now. And that sounds lovely."

"Agreed."


	21. The Last Real Birthday

**Author's note: Apologies for the overlong delay. I hadn't quite worked out what to do with these two till today. Story should be finished within a week now. -ff**

"Should we practice our vows?"

Scorpius laughed and straightened Albus' tie. They'd decided to go with Muggle suits for their wedding—tuxes, Albus kept calling them, perhaps inspired by an advert he'd seen in the newspaper. It was their final fitting, and Albus, Scorpius' typically cool and collected Albus, couldn't stop confirming the details of their wedding that weekend.

"We're repeating our vows after Percy—Uncle Percy, I suppose—says them to us, Al. No, I don't think we need to practice."

"And did you tell my mum which kind of lilies we wanted?"

"One, I'm somehow not surprised that you know one lily from another. And two, we put the order in for the flowers a month ago. You need to relax, OK?"

The seamstress, with whom Albus and Scorpius got on quite well, was putting the finishing touches on Albus' trousers. She looked up at Scorpius and smiled. "It's more fun if he doesn't. He's cuter then, isn't he?"

"He is, but I don't want him like this in three days. You sure you can't come, Sam?"

She shook her head. "Would if I could, but I'm holding down the fort at Madam Malkin's while she's on a weekend trip. You know that already."

"Thought it was worth one last try."

Sam straightened up and looked Albus up and down. "Much better," she said. "And Scorpius, naturally, your suit's fitting you perfectly. How Al grew an inch somewhere in there is beyond me. And those are the shoes you'll be wearing?"

Scorpius nodded. "Do you like them?"

"They look a lot like every other pair of men's shoes ever. So sure." She grinned. "That'll be on the house. I didn't have to do enough to justify charging my favorite customers."

Scorpius tossed her a Galleon. "You're taking this anyway," he said, looking down at his wristwatch. "Oh, Albus, we're absolutely needed at the Burrow by two minutes from now."

The two of them changed in record time, waved to Sam, and ran out to the streets of Diagon Alley, relieved not to have to duck in a dark corner to Apparate. Within two jumps, they were standing on the doorstep of the Burrow.

"And why were we so needed here?" Albus asked.

"Why do you keep forgetting what day it is?" Scorpius shook his head and rolled his eyes as Lily burst through the door and fastened her arms around Albus.

"Happy birthday, brother!" she said in a lilting tone. "You know you'll be messed over on presents the rest of your life, right? Everything's going to be a combination Scorpibus gift."

"Scorpibus?" Albus cocked his head and extricated himself from her embrace, which, to Scorpius, looked aggressively tight. Lily, the little Gryffindor Beater, seemed to forget the extent of her strength most of the time.

"Every couple needs a combined name!" Lily skipped into the kitchen, where Mrs. Weasley was putting the finishing touches on what seemed to be a feast of truly epic proportions. Albus stared at it, goggle-eyed.

"It's your last birthday before your wedding, Albus," said Mrs. Weasley—Scorpius was supposed to call her Molly, and he tried, but it never worked. Hopefully, he'd be able to transition to calling her Grandma. He doubted that, though. "Did you really think we wouldn't make it extra special?"

"I guess I didn't think of it. Kind of distracted, you know." Albus slipped his hand through Scorpius' and grinned. "Where is everyone?"

"Out in the backyard. Had to conjure a couple extra tables for the crowd we've gathered, but there you go. Ginny! George! Help me carry everything to the table!"

Ginny and George came into the kitchen, giving Albus and Scorpius hugs in turn.

"Happy birthday, Al," said George. "And happy conclusion of your bachelorhood."

"It is," Albus said, slipping his hand into Scorpius'.

Ginny kissed Albus on the head, though she had to get on tiptoes to do so. "Happy birthday, boy. You two, get outside and sit down."

Albus and Scorpius complied. Scorpius took a seat between his father and Albus, who was directed to the head of the table.

"Getting invited to birthday feasts now, then?" Scorpius elbowed his dad.

"Apparently so. It looks incredible. How she does it without house elves, I don't know."

"Where's Mum?"

"She'll be here. Had to go pick up Al's gift."

"She'll miss the meal."

"That's her problem." Scorpius' dad licked his lips as they all got their first look at dinner. As soon as the plates hit the table, the group began gorging themselves on steak & kidney pies, honeyed biscuits, cheddar ale soup, and, after a fashion, pumpkin pasties, treacle tart, and chocolate cake.

"I'm not worth this," Albus said to Scorpius.

"You're worth more than this," Scorpius assured him. "But we ought to take what we can get."

Albus had expressly requested that no one go overboard on gifts, and they didn't. Scorpius' mum and dad gave him a pair of cufflinks engraved with Albus' and Scorpius' initials, and had gotten Scorpius the same. George presented him with a sampler of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes' best-selling stock, Bill and Fleur gave him a recipe book filled with French meals, and Lily handed him a sack full of Galleons to go toward furnishing Albus and Scorpius' flat. Hermione told them they'd be getting their gift, new Ministry robes, whenever they needed them next.

"That's from all of us, but you can pretend it's just from me," Lily said sweetly.

"Thanks, everyone," said Albus. "You're all excused from giving me gifts that have nothing to do with Scorpius for the rest of my life."

"The odd thing is, he isn't joking," Harry said, looking at Albus fondly. "Give my son a husband and a good meal, and he's satisfied."

"Everyone should be so lucky," said Albus, taking Scorpius' hand.

"You can kiss, you know," Ginny said, smiling wryly. "It's not like it's something we've never seen before."

"Hey, we're discrete," said Scorpius before recalling the last time Ginny had forgotten to knock before coming into Albus' bedroom, and the time George had dropped by unannounced to return a midsized cauldron he'd borrowed, and the time he'd taught Scorpius to swim until they got distracted by each other's bodies, and the time ... well, maybe they weren't so discrete. He leaned over to kiss Albus, quickly and chastely to the sounds of whoops and hollers from the Potter, Malfoy, and Weasley clans.

After being told there was no possible way anyone would accept their help in cleaning up, Albus and Scorpius participated in a few games of Two A Side with Rose and Hugo, and then got soundly defeated at Exploding Snap by Ron and Harry before heading home.

"We're not shagging, you know, for a few more days," said Albus after they popped into their bedroom.

Scorpius groaned. "You don't have to remind me." They'd opted to take a break from sex for a month before the wedding in order to make the honeymoon more special. It was an idea suggested by Fleur, who was perhaps too open about her sex life than any relative should be. Whether it was a good idea or not remained to be seen. All Scorpius could thought was that April 2, the last time he'd made love to Albus, had been a very, very long time ago. He was stellar at wanking now, which he supposed might serve some purpose in the near future. The not-near-enough future. Albus pulled his t-shirt over his head and tossed it in the laundry bin. "I wish you'd at least do me the courtesy of changing in the loo."

"And you could do the same," said Albus as Scorpius divested of his jeans and t-shirt. "It's driving me mad, too, you know. But Fleur promised it'd be worth it."

"I'll probably have forgotten how by the time we're in Hawaii."

"I trust you more than that. Haven't you been wanking?"

"Like crazy," Scorpius admitted.

Albus laughed. "Me too. I guess that's not the whole of it, though."

"You guess? Remember sex? Remember being sucked off?"

"Too well," said Albus. "I'm going to take a shower."

"Tease."

"You wouldn't stick around if you didn't love it."

"Shove off."

"Love you, too," Albus said, laughing as he turned on the water and stepped into the bath.


	22. Ends and Beginnings Again

"I was wondering something," Albus said to his father. It was going on 9 pm. Albus had been married for five hours, and so far, it was going rather well. He'd danced and drunk champagne and listened to countless toasts describing how perfect a couple he belonged to. He'd exclaimed over how beautifully everything had turned out, laughed at every one of the terrible jokes told at his and Scorpius' expense, and posed for what felt like thousands of pictures with all manner of combinations of the families Potter and Malfoy. Now, he and his father were standing outside the tent in the Weasleys' backyard, sipping on firewhisky and mulling over the day.

"What's that?"

"When you found out that Draco had been the one to push for your commendation from the Ministry, and the two of you kind of disappeared for a bit, what were you doing?"

"It wasn't what you're thinking," his dad said quickly. Albus let out a huge sigh of relief he hadn't realized he'd been holding in—for over a year now, it seemed.

"Then what was it?"

Albus' father looked up at the moon, nearly full, and said, sounding wistful, "Draco and I ... we were horribly immature, weren't we? And not even both of us. At least, not always. He'd learned, he'd grown out of it, but I never really did." He looked at Albus. "Not until then. I was starting to get over it, I suppose, but then, when I was able to sort out that my kids, and your cousins, and Scorpius had all sort of banded together just to make things right, make things manageable ... Well, it started to seem like maybe my children were a lot more mature than I was. Am. You're all adults, you know. Maybe not in practical terms, but in all the ways that matter."

Albus nodded. "I can't really believe that. I still feel like such a kid, even now. So you and Draco talked about that, then? Your kids?"

"Yes, that. And we figured, well, if our kids are onto how daft we've been..." His father smiled wryly. "Then we should probably be onto it, too. Then we shagged."

Albus spit out some of the firewhisky that had just entered his mouth. It hit his father's shoes.

"I was joking. And it was worth it." His dad laughed. "Honestly, Al, I'm in love with your mum. Maybe I loved Draco once. OK, fine, I did," he said, catching Albus' expression. "But your mother's always been the only person for me, even if Draco is about the best looking bastard in the world."

"He is fit, isn't he? Don't tell Scorpius, though. He hates when I mention it."

"And how often do you do that?"

"I just like to remind him that I'm pleased to see what he'll grow up to look like."

His dad patted him on the arm. "My boy. So, does that clear things up for you, then? I haven't touched Draco Malfoy—at least, not like that—since well before you were born. And I couldn't be more pleased that you've chosen to spend your life with his son. I'm sorry I was too thick there at the beginning to realize what a perfect fit it is."

"It's OK. If I were you, and my son decided to fall in love with my worst enemy's offspring, I wouldn't be too happy, either."

"You don't have any enemies, do you?"

"I don't make a habit of it."

"I'm really proud of you," his father said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I don't think I say that enough. I should work on that."

"Hearing it once in a while's good enough for me," said Albus, hugging his dad. "After we have this absolutely cliché moment, though, we should probably get back to all this wedding business. I'm sort of one of the guests of honor."

They laughed and walked back under the shelter of the tent. Scorpius seemed to spot Albus immediately, willing people out of his way to join the two of them.

"Where have you been?" Scorpius asked.

"Right outside," said Albus. "Just having a bit of a chat. You know, one of those father-son things."

Scorpius nodded and pulled Albus onto the dance floor, giving Albus' father a smile along the way. "Had one of those myself earlier. Our dads haven't shagged since before we were born."

"I guess it shouldn't surprise me that the contents of our respective conversations were similar," said Albus as they eased into a waltz to a Frank Sinatra song—"The Way You Look Tonight," Albus thought, recalling the times he'd seen his parents laughing their way through practice sessions for Ministry galas. "Did you get the 'I'm proud of you' stuff, too?"

"Of course I did. It's hard for me to walk away from a conversation with my father these days without hearing that sentiment."

"Because of your job, or because of me?"

"Because of both." Scorpius usually led, and that was the case this time as he dipped Albus down and brushed his lips against his husband's. Albus smiled as Scorpius pulled him back, tighter into his arms than a waltz warranted. Albus' mum rolled her eyes at him from across the dance floor; his father shrugged and imitated Albus and Scorpius' movements. Albus' mum laughed and played along.

"Your mum's beautiful, you know," said Scorpius. "It's good to know you'll never get ugly."

"Thanks for that. And same to you."

"This conversation could take a weird turn in a second."

"Yes. So let's change the subject before it does. I can't wait till you're naked."

Scorpius laughed. "Say it a little louder next time. I don't think Rose and Andy heard you. Oh, wait, they absolutely did."

"Are they laughing?"

"Of course they are. But they don't look too surprised."

"Why would they be? I'm gorgeous, you're gorgeous, and we haven't had sex since the second of April."

"Maybe we should both be quieter," Albus said into Scorpius' ear as his grandmother looked at him with wide eyes. "At least a few people here would be more than content to believe that we've done nothing but hold hands until today, when we kissed in front of them a few times."

"Or we could leave," Scorpius suggested.

"We could do that. It's normal for other people to still stay around after the couple's left the reception, right?"

"Probably not. But we could make it normal." Albus and Scorpius went around and said their goodbyes, heading for a room at a posh hotel in wizarding London. There was no preamble before they were fairly ripping off each other's suits, revisiting all the curves and sensitive spots they'd been missing, snogging as they hadn't since the first few days of their relationship.

"I love you so much," Scorpius said, running his teeth along Albus' collarbone before making his way down to his husband's waist.

"Less convincing when you're doing that. Try 'I lust after you so much,'" Albus said, grinning in between shivers.

"That's enough cheek from you." Scorpius kissed him, and again, and again, before saying, "How much longer are we going to put this off?"

"Hopefully not much. I'm—it's going to be quick."

"We have 16 hours before we're scheduled for the international Apparition. I'll make sure next time's not quite so fast."

And next times there were, roughly three and a half in total. It would've been an even four had Albus not yawned hugely as Scorpius began administering the usual spells; Scorpius took that as a hint, arranged the bedcovers around both of them, and fell asleep seconds before Albus did the same. They woke up three hours before they were scheduled to begin their trip to Hawaii—Kauai, specifically, the so-called Garden Island, a popular honeymoon choice among Muggles and wizards alike. There was more kissing then, but they resolved that it would be best to prepare for their trip and eat some thoroughly Londonesque cuisine before heading off to somewhere new.

"How you got me down to one bag, I'll never know," Scorpius said, slipping his hand into Albus' as they waited in the queue.

"You know we'll be all but depleting any money we've made at our jobs once we get there anyway," Albus said breezily. "Vacations are meant for spending money and shagging. But mostly spending money."

"What, no hiking or botanical gardens or helicopter tours?"

"What's a helicopter?"

"You've got a lot to learn yet, Al."

"It's a good thing you're here to teach me, then."

Scorpius squeezed Albus' hand. "A very good thing. Ready for this?"

"As I will ever be," said Albus, smiling and squeezing back as they turned on the spot and embarked on something somewhere altogether unfamiliar—and, Albus was sure, somewhere altogether brilliant, so long as Scorpius was at his side.

**Author's note: Hope you enjoyed this. If you want a smut-free honeymoon story, I may whip one up.**


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